Christ the Redeemer
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Authors
Stefano da Putignano, attr.
Date
Type
Image
Language
Keyword
Christ , Jesus , Redeemer
Alternative Title
Abstract
This three-quarter length relief sculpture of Christ the Redeemer, now in the Museo del Cattedrale in Matera, was originally located in San Pietro Barisano in Matera. This lunette was likely originally a part of a small altarpiece. The work is damaged, especially the left hand, which originally held an orb (showing God's dominion over the world), the cruciform halo, and the surface, which is pocked with rough spots and has lost almost all of the original polychromy. The blank pupilless eyes make it clear that the work was originally painted. Attention was originally drawn to the work by Dr. Clara Gelao in 1989 and 1990, who attributed the relief to Stefano da Putignano and dated it likely to 1517-18, when the artist was working in Matera, though possibly earlier. Usually images show Christ the Redeemer in a more iconic, frontal, symmetrical pose, and so the way in which Christ turns to his left and bends his head must be in response to another image, now lost, or to the position of the viewer. Photograph(s) licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Description
Museo del Cattedrale, Matera; San Pietro Barisano, Matera
Citation
Clara Gelao, Stefano da Putignano ""virtuoso scultore del rinascimento (Bari: Mario Adda, 2020), 140-2; Object Label "Redentore", Museo del Cattedrale, Matera, Italy.