Miniature gold relief depicting the Crucifixion, poss. Germany or Bohemia, ca. 1620 (fragmented); mounted on historic but later leather backing

Gold plaque chased and embossed with a scene depicting the Crucifixion.

The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Provenance: S. J. Phillips, London.

Original context

The crucifixion scene on the companion plaque of this piece is slightly larger than the Sacrifice of Isaac, and suggests that the Crucifixion once was the centre of a symmetrical composition of plaques on an object for private devotion.

The Crucifixion of Christ as subject matter

The subjects of this and its companion plaque, as well as their style are known from prints, goldsmith and larger works made in the early seventeenth century. The Crucifixion of Christ is described in all Gospels of the New Testament, and together with Christ’s resurrection central to Christian belief. The Sacrifice of Isaac is described in the Old Testament and considered a prefiguration of the crucifixion itself, as were other stories in the Old Testament.

Composition

The artist has chosen the very moment of Christ’s death at which an eclipse and an earthquake occurred according to the Gospels of Matthew (27:33-56), Mark (15:22-41) and Luke (23:32-49). Only John (19:17-30) does not include a detailed description of natural phenomena at the time of Christ’s death and the reactions of those attending the crucifixion. The description closest to the composition of this relief appears to be that of Matthew 27:52-56: “and the earth did quake; and the rocks were rent; and the tombs were opened; and many bodies of the saints […] were raised. Now the centurion and they that were with him watching Jesus, when they saw the earthquake […] feared exceedingly, saying, Truly this was the son of God. And many women were there […] who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him; among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.”

The composition of this miniature is as complex as that of any large-scale picture. Three sheets of gold were chased to create the scene: the background with sun and moon, dramatic rocks and the walls of Jerusalem; Christ on the cross and the surrounding clouds; and as base of the scene the mountain of Golgotha (‘place of the sukll’) and figures.

This fragile and intricate miniature gold relief consists of several sheets of gold that were chased and arranged by an unknown but extremely talented artist in the early seventeenth century. It depicts the biblical story of the Crucifixion, and is associated with a slightly larger relief with the Sacrifice of Isaac. Both of them appear to originate from the same precious object for private devotion. The amount of detail and ability of the maker to create a dynamic composition closely following the descriptions of the Bible are remarkable.

The fragment has been mounted on a bespoke leather back and thus has become an independent work of art appreciated for its artistic and material value. This might have happened comparatively shortly after its creation and allowed close-up study. Several different types of nails used for securing the gold relief to the back and marks applied to the piece when it was imported to France in the late nineteenth century are testimony that this plaque remained a treasured masterpiece over centuries.

Sir Arthur Gilbert (1913-2001) and his wife Rosalinde (1913-1995) formed one of the world's great decorative art collections, including silver, mosaics, enamelled portrait miniatures and gold boxes. The collection is on long-term loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum.

LOAN:GILBERT.21:2-2008