_-_Kreuzigung_Christi_(Kopie_nach_dem_Altarbild_der_M%C3%BCnchner_Augustinerkirche)_-_5255_-_Bavarian_State_Painting_Collections.jpg&width=1200)
Kreuzigung Christi (Kopie nach dem Altarbild der Münchner Augustinerkirche) (Kopie nach)
Jacopo Tintoretto·c. 1556
Historical Context
This Crucifixion of Christ in the Bavarian State Painting Collections is catalogued as a copy after Tintoretto's altarpiece for the Munich Augustinian church. The Crucifixion was the central subject of Christian art, and Tintoretto treated it in some of the most ambitious paintings of the sixteenth century, including his vast canvas in the Scuola Grande di San Rocco. This copy preserves the composition of a now-lost or inaccessible original, demonstrating the importance of copies in disseminating knowledge of major works before the age of photography.
Technical Analysis
The copy preserves the dramatic compositional arrangement of Tintoretto's original, with the characteristic dark palette and theatrical lighting effects. The handling, while competent, shows the more careful, deliberate brushwork typical of copyists working from an original, lacking the spontaneous energy of Tintoretto's own rapid execution.
Look Closer
- ◆Notice the dark palette and theatrical lighting preserved from Tintoretto's original composition.
- ◆Look at the more careful, deliberate brushwork typical of copyists — the spontaneous energy of the original is lost.
- ◆Observe the dramatic compositional arrangement that demonstrates why the original was considered worth copying.
- ◆The cross provides the dominant vertical axis, with the surrounding figures creating the typical Tintorettesque crowd scene.
- ◆Find where the copy's execution becomes more mechanical, lacking the decisive energy of Tintoretto's own rapid brushwork.
