Dead Christ
Allegretto Nuzi·1365
Historical Context
This Dead Christ (Imago Pietatis) by Allegretto Nuzi, painted around 1365 and now in the Pinacoteca Vaticana, depicts the Man of Sorrows iconographic type showing the half-length figure of the dead Christ rising from the tomb. Allegretto Nuzi was the leading painter of Fabriano in the Marche and a key figure in the regional school that would later produce Gentile da Fabriano. The Imago Pietatis was among the most powerful devotional images of the Gothic period, designed to inspire compassionate meditation on Christ's suffering.
Technical Analysis
Tempera and gold on panel. Allegretto renders the figure of the dead Christ with restrained pathos, combining Giottesque volumetric modeling with the decorative gold tooling and intense color characteristic of the Marchigian school.
See It In Person
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Virgin and Child, with Saints Mary Magdalene, James Major, Stephen, and a Bishop Saint
Allegretto Nuzi·1346
Crucifixion with the Virgin Mary, St. John the Evangelist, and St. Mary Magdalene
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The Crucifixion
Allegretto Nuzi·1350
