This group has a distinctly theatrical quality, and features a polychrome finish which has been achieved with exquisite attention to detail.
The group was formerly part of a sculpture on a plaster altarpiece. It is designed to be seen from the front and the figures are arranged symmetrically so that the movement and position of one figure is counteracted on the other side by a similar figure.
The figure of Christ is depicted with great expressiveness and has been classified as Laocöonesque (in reference to the Greek sculpture of Laocöon). The other figures are depicted with their features contorted by suffering and clothed in abundant drapery, a characteristic device used by this artist for modelling forms.
Details of the work
Object
Sculpture group
Technique
Carved, polychrome
Material
Wood