Scuola Napoletana del XVIII secolo - Cristo che porta la Croce

\Artist: Scuola Napoletana del XVIII secolo
Technique: Oil on canvas\Signature: Not signed\Dimensions: 77. 5_53_3_cm
Neapolitan school, 18th century. "Cristo che porta la Croce". Oil on canvas. Old reengineering. It has a slight chip in the paint and a patch. Size: 77. 5 x 53 cm. In this canvas the author captures one of the most dramatic moments of the Way of the Cross, the moment in which Christ bears the weight of the cross. In this episode it is common to see Simon of Cyrene helping Jesus carry the cross, or Veronica offering him a cloth to wipe his face from blood and sweat. However, the author of this canvas dispenses with these characters and does not seek a more theological meaning than that of the same suffering and the voluntary sacrifice of Christ on behalf of humanity. In fact, this supreme generosity is strengthened by the very gaze of Jesus, who avoids ours, turning to the side towards something that we do not see because it is out of the picture. Compositionally, however, everything is designed to enhance the figure of Christ. The figure is worked with a strong naturalism, highlighting the wrinkles of the face and the expressiveness of the hands, and the dark lighting used manages to provide a greater physical presence, greater three-dimensionality and also intensity and effect on the figure. These characteristics, as well as the colour range used, are typical of the naturalist Baroque of Caravaggio and Ribera, the main influences that can be noted in this composition. The dramatic figure stands out against a dark background of dense darkness, as if emerging from the shadow, illuminated directly by a reflector, theatrical and direct, which enters the image from the upper left corner and falls directly on the face, eyes and hands of the saint, leaving the rest of the figure wrapped in a faded darkness. No major restorations have emerged under Wood’s lamp. The canvas has been re-lined and re-stretched at a later time. From a private collection, with certificate in accordance with art. 64, Legislative Decree 22 January 2004, no 42, of the Law on Cultural Heritage and Landscape (Italy) . Accurate packaging and insured shipping via courier. In case of any delivery-related issues, before giving a negative/neutral feedback, please contact us and we will be glad to help you find a solution. Thank you.