Lamentation over the Dead Christ
c.1490 Alte Pinakothek, Munich
About this artwork
This painting by Sandro Botticelli depicts the Lamentation of Christ, with the Virgin Mary cradling the dead body of Jesus surrounded by grieving saints and disciples in a cave-like setting. The work showcases Botticelli's late style, characterized by intense emotion and a more subdued palette.
Did you know?
Botticelli's later works, including this Lamentation, reflect the profound spiritual crisis he experienced under the influence of the fiery Dominican friar Girolamo Savonarola, who preached against the vanities of secular art and life in Florence. The intensity of emotion and the stark realism of Christ's suffering here stand in contrast to the more graceful, mythological themes of his earlier career, illustrating a dramatic shift in his artistic focus.
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Lamentation over the Dead Christ
Sandro Botticelli, c.1490
