Crucifixion (circa 1660)
Technique: Giclée quality print
Recommended by our customers
More about this artwork
This powerful depiction of the Crucifixion by Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione, painted around 1660, captures a pivotal moment in Christian iconography with deep emotion and dynamic composition. The artwork portrays Jesus Christ nailed to the cross, his figure illuminated by a divine light that highlights his suffering and sacrificial spirit. An angel descends from above, a symbolic representation of the heavens responding to the momentous event.Below the cross, the Virgin Mary is depicted in a state of collapse, her anguish palpable, supported by John the Apostle and surrounded by other mournful followers. Their expressions and gestures intensify the scene's emotional depth, each figure uniquely contributing to the narrative of grief and devotion.Castiglione’s use of swirling brushstrokes and rich, dark tones evokes a turbulent atmosphere, while the stark lighting emphasizes the central figures, creating a focal point that draws viewers into the heart of the biblical story.
Delivery
Returns
Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione (23 March 1609 – 5 May 1664) was an Italian Baroque painter, printmaker and draftsman, of the Genoese school. He is best known now for his etchings, and as the inventor of the printmaking technique of monotyping. He was known as Il Grechetto in Italy and in France as Le Benédette.
He painted portraits, history paintings and landscapes, but came to specialize in rural scenes with more animals than human figures. Noah's ark and the animals entering the Ark was a favourite subject of his, and he devised a number of other new subjects from the early parts of the Old Testament with the patriarchs and their animals.