Head of Young Christ
Artist
Elisabetta Sirani
(Italian, 1638-1665)
Date1655
Object number62.0264
Mediumoil on canvas
Dimensionsframe: 24 3/4 x 21 3/4 x 2 3/4 in. (62.9 x 55.2 x 7 cm)
17 3/8 x 14 3/8 in. (44.1 x 36.5 cm)
17 3/8 x 14 3/8 in. (44.1 x 36.5 cm)
ClassificationsPainting
Credit LineMuseo de Arte de Ponce. The Luis A. Ferré Foundation, Inc.
Gift of the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, New York
Collections
On View
Not on viewDescriptionElisabetta Sirani’s religious works were commonly used in the devotional practices of her patrons, which included prominent European figures such as Grand Duke Cosimo III de’ Medici. In Head of Young Christ, Sirani implemented a marked chiaroscuro and modeled Christ's head with thick brushstrokes, fluid impasto, intense coloring, and deep shadows. She placed the figure in the composition's foreground, bringing it closer to the viewer, as was common in religious images of the time. According to the Catholic Counter-Reformation, these images were to inspire the faithful during their private devotional practices. Head of Young Christ is one of sixteen paintings donated by the Samuel H. Kress Foundation to the Museo de Arte de Ponce in 1962.
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