Christ Carrying the Cross
Sebastiano del Piombo·c. 1515–17
Historical Context
Sebastiano del Piombo painted this Christ Carrying the Cross around 1515-17, during the period when he was deeply influenced by Michelangelo, who reportedly provided drawings for several of Sebastiano's compositions. Born in Venice and trained under Giovanni Bellini, Sebastiano moved to Rome in 1511 where he became Michelangelo's ally against Raphael. This powerful devotional image combines Venetian colorism with the monumental figural style of Roman art.
Technical Analysis
Sebastiano's oil-on-panel technique merges Venetian richness of color with Michelangelesque sculptural form. The close-up composition focuses intensely on Christ's face, with dramatic contrasts of light and shadow emphasizing the weight of suffering.
Provenance
Ochoa-Herrera family, Calle Muñoz y Garnica, Jaén, Spain, by at least 1956 but probably earlier [according to e-mail correspondence of February 19 and 26, 2016, between David Durán and Rebecca Long; copy in curatorial file. See also photograph of painting from 1956, labeled “collection of the widow Ochoa” and “Jaén,” in Arxiu Mas, Barcelona; copy in curatorial file]; sold by the family to Durán Arte y Subastas, Madrid, May 27, 2015, lot no. 78; bought by Goldengate Arts Ltd., Dublin [according to export license of July 23, 2015; copy in curatorial file]; sold to Colnaghi/Coll y Cortés, London and Madrid, October 2015 [according to e-mail correspondence of February 8, 2016, between Jorge Coll and Rebecca Long; copy in curatorial file]; sold to the Art Institute of Chicago, 2016.
See It In Person
More by Sebastiano del Piombo (Sebastiano Luciani)
Portrait of a Man, Said to be Christopher Columbus (born about 1446, died 1506)
Sebastiano del Piombo (Sebastiano Luciani)·1519
Portrait of a Young Woman as a Wise Virgin
Sebastiano del Piombo·c. 1510
Cardinal Bandinello Sauli, His Secretary, and Two Geographers
Sebastiano del Piombo·1516
Portrait of a Humanist
Sebastiano del Piombo·c. 1520
