Sculptural group with The Lamentation Over the Dead Christ

Sculptural group with The Lamentation Over the Dead Christ

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This work is the largest and most spectacular surviving example of sculptural maiolica from the Renaissance. The standing figures are set in high relief against a landscape of rocky yellow earth and green grass. Conceived as an altarpiece, the scene depicts the moment of grief and reflection after Christ’s body is taken down from the cross. It allowed the artist—a highly skilled potter—to explore the expressive potential of his medium. Although this work surpasses in ambition many earthenware vessels from the period, it was made with traditional maiolica techniques. Therefore, the color palette is limited due to the chemical properties of the pigments. The patterns on the mourners’ garments are related to contemporary European fashion but also recall the energetic Spanish-influenced ornament found on many objects in this exhibition.

European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Sculptural group with The Lamentation Over the Dead ChristSculptural group with The Lamentation Over the Dead ChristSculptural group with The Lamentation Over the Dead ChristSculptural group with The Lamentation Over the Dead ChristSculptural group with The Lamentation Over the Dead Christ

The fifty thousand objects in the Museum's comprehensive and historically important collection of European sculpture and decorative arts reflect the development of a number of art forms in Western European countries from the early fifteenth through the early twentieth century. The holdings include sculpture in many sizes and media, woodwork and furniture, ceramics and glass, metalwork and jewelry, horological and mathematical instruments, and tapestries and textiles. Ceramics made in Asia for export to European markets and sculpture and decorative arts produced in Latin America during this period are also included among these works.