Italian, ca. 1470-1528
Risen Christ, ca. 1510
Tempera on panel
29.2 x 26 cm (11 1/2 x 10 1/4 inches)
Gift of Manton B. Metcalf 16.237
This small devotional panel depicts a triumphant Christ, arisen from the dead on Easter morning. The heavy lid of his tomb has been removed and he is shown standing on the edge of the open stone sarcophagus. He bears the banner of the Resurrection, identified by its red cross, and raises his right hand in a gesture of blessing. Christ’s gold cruciform halo stands out against the dark, craggy rocks behind him, while the landscape is illuminated by the sunrise in the background. The billowing folds of his draped shroud and the balance of his pose reflect the influence of classical sculpture on the representation of the human figure during the high Renaissance.