The Body of the Dead Christ in the Tomb
The Body of the Dead Christ in the Tomb is an oil and
It shows a life-size,
Description
The painting is especially notable for its dramatic dimensions (30.5 cm x 200 cm),[1] and the fact that Christ's face, hands and feet, as well as the wounds in his torso, are depicted as realistic dead flesh in the early stages of putrefaction. His body is shown as long and emaciated while eyes and mouth are left open.[2]
Christ is shown with three visible wounds: on his hand, side and feet. Discussing the artist's use of unflinching realism, art historians Oscar Bätschmann and Pascal Griener noted that Christ's raised and extended middle finger appears to "reach towards the beholder", while his strands of hair "look as if they are breaking through the surface of the painting".
Background
In common with many artists active during the early
It is unknown for what purpose the painting was created. Various suggestions have been offered, including as a
In 1999, Bätschmann and Griener raised the possibility that the panel was intended to form part of a Holy Tomb, perhaps as a lid to be laid over a sepulchre.[4] According to legend, Holbein used a body retrieved from the Rhine as a model for the work. "Whether this is true or not, there is no doubt of his attempt to be totally convincing."[7] The painting is exhibited in the Kunstmuseum Basel.[8]
Commentary
The panel has attracted fascination and praise since it was created. The work captivated the Russian author
The effect of the open eyes and mouth has been described by the art critic Michel Onfray as giving the impression that "the viewer sees Christ seeing: he might also perceive what death has in store, because he's staring at the heavens, while his soul is probably there already. No-one has taken the trouble to close his mouth and his eyes. Or else Holbein wants to tell us that, even in death, Christ still looks and speaks."[1]
See also
Notes
- ^ a b c Onfray, Michel. "The Body of the Dead Christ in the Tomb (1521) Archived 2009-05-13 at the Wayback Machine". Tate Etc., 2006. Retrieved on May 4, 2009.
- ^ a b c Bätschmann & Griener, 88
- ^ "The Body of the Dead Christ in the Tomb". Web Gallery of Art. Retrieved on May 4, 2009.
- ^ a b c Bätschmann & Griener, 89.
- JSTOR 42568691.
- ISBN 0815303890.
- ^ Moyle, Franny, The King's Painter: The Life and Times of Hans Holbein, New York: Abrams Press, 2021, p. 90.
- ^ "Holbein's dead Christ delivers a shock | Jonathan Jones". the Guardian. 18 June 2009. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
- ^ Frank, Joseph (2010). Dostoevsky: A Writer in His Time. Princeton University Press. p. 550.
- ^ Meyers, 136–147.
- ^ Dostoevsky, Fyodor (2004). The Idiot. Penguin Books. pp. 475–477.
- ^ Frank, Joseph (2010). Dostoevsky: A Writer in His Time, Princeton University Press, p. 550.
Sources
- Bätschmann, Oskar & Griener, Pascal. Hans Holbein. Reaktion Books, 1997. ISBN 978-1-78023-171-6.
- Meyers, Jeffrey. "Holbein and the Idiot," in Meyers, Jeffrey, Painting and the Novel. London: Manchester University Press, 1975. New York: Barnes & Noble Books, 1975.
- Kristeva, Julia. Black Sun: Depression and Melancholia. New York: Columbia University Press, 1989.