The Lamentation of Christ, Andrea Mantegna

The Lamentation of Christ

Mantegna invented a radical foreshortening for this painting: Christ lies dead, and we view him from the soles of his feet upward. The wounds in the feet — usually hidden in Crucifixion paintings — are pushed into our line of sight. Christ's head, the traditional focal point, is the smallest element in the composition. The painting was found in Mantegna's studio after his death. It was likely never sold or shown publicly. Now at Pinacoteca di Brera, Milan @pinacotecabrera

Artist
Andrea Mantegna (c. 1431 to 1506)
Date
1480
Medium
Tempera on canvas
Dimensions
68 × 81 cm
Collection
Pinacoteca di Brera, Milan
Image
Wikimedia Commons · Public domain