Lamentation over the dead Christ thumbnail 1
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Medieval & Renaissance, Room 64a, The Robert H. Smith Gallery

This object consists of 2 parts, some of which may be located elsewhere.

Lamentation over the dead Christ

Relief
ca. 1475-1490 (made)
Artist/Maker
Mantegazza, Antonio (probably)
Mantegazza, Antonio (maker)
Place of origin
Lombardy (made)

This is a marble relief made in Italy in about 1475-1480 by either Cristoforo or Antonio Mantegazza (active 1464-81? and 1472-95?). The brothers Cristoforo and Antonio worked together at the Certosa di Pavia, near Milan, and it is not easy to differentiate their work. This relief is the lower part of a larger composition. The expressive figures have awkward, elongated limbs and crumpled, clinging drapery that add to the emotional effect of the scene. The relief was careved in two sections, but the upper part is missing.


Object details
Categories
Sculpture
Christianity
Religion
Death
Object type
Relief
Parts
This object consists of 2 parts.

  • Relief
  • Relief
Materials and techniques
Marble relief
Marble
Relief
Brief description
Relief, marble, Lamentation over the dead Christ, probably by Antonio Mantegazza, Italy, ca. 1475-90
Physical description
Relief. The body of the dead Christ is supported, partially upright, by the Virgin seated to the left on a carved marble seat and, on the right, by St. John who holds His left arm; St. Mary Magdalene, seated in the foreground, holds the legs of Christ. In the background are four mourners.
Dimensions
  • Height: 60.2cm
  • Width: 88cm
  • Depth: 15cm
  • Weight: 90kg
Gallery label
LAMENTATION OVER THE DEAD CHRIST About 1475-90 Probably Antonio Mantegazza (active 1472-95?) The brothers Cristoforo and Antonio Mantegazza worked together at the Certosa di Pavia, near Milan, and it is difficult to distinguish their work. Their expressive figures have awkward, elongated limbs and crumpled, clinging drapery that add to the emotional effect of this scene. The relief was carved in two sections, but the upper part is missing. Italy, Lombardy Marble Museum no. 8-1869(2020)
Object history
Bought in London from the Castellani collection in 1869. The relief is stated to have come from the Certosa at Pavia.
Subjects depicted
Jesus Christ
Virgin Mary
St John
Lamentation Over the Dead Christ
Summary
This is a marble relief made in Italy in about 1475-1480 by either Cristoforo or Antonio Mantegazza (active 1464-81? and 1472-95?). The brothers Cristoforo and Antonio worked together at the Certosa di Pavia, near Milan, and it is not easy to differentiate their work. This relief is the lower part of a larger composition. The expressive figures have awkward, elongated limbs and crumpled, clinging drapery that add to the emotional effect of the scene. The relief was careved in two sections, but the upper part is missing.
Bibliographic references
  • Inventory of Art Objects acquired in the Year 1868. List of Objects in the Art Division, South Kensington, Acquired During the Year 1869, Arranged According to the Dates of Acquisition. London: Printed by George E. Eyre and William Spottiswoode for H.M.S.O., p. 1.
  • Pope-Hennessy, John. Catalogue of Italian Sculpture in the Victoria and Albert Museum. London: HMSO, 1964, cat. no. 403, fig. 398
  • Maclagan, Eric and Longhurst, Margaret H. Catalogue of Italian Sculpture. London, 1932, p. 112
  • Morscheck, Charles R., Jr. Relief Sculpture for the Facade of the Certosa di Pavia: 1473-1499. New York: Garland, 1978, pp. 225-229
  • Pope-Hennessy, John. Italian Renaissance Sculpture. 3rd ed. London, 1986, p. 364
  • Motture, P., Jones, E. and Zikos, D., ed. by, Carvings, Casts and Collectors: The Art of Renaissance Sculpture, London, 2013p.27
  • Bourmand, Marc; Beatrice Paolozzi Strozzi and Francesca Tasso, Le Corps et L'Âme, Paris, Musée du Louvre, 2020
Collection
Sculpture Collection
Accession number
8-1869

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Record createdJune 18, 2019
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1499206/lamentation-over-the-dead-christ-relief-mantegazza-antonio/
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