Romanesque Corpus Christi. Sandstone 12th century.

Romanesque sculpture representing a deposition from the cross in stone. The torso of Christ is sculpted in a relatively vigorous manner with the chest and ribs well marked. The perizonium also has pronounced folds. A curl of hair is still visible on the right shoulder. This emotiional Romanesque Christ is sculpted in Alsace sandstone and probably comes from the Strasbourg region. This sculpture has few equivalents in stone, most depositions from the cross being made of wood. Stylistic similarities can be made with the copper or bronze Christs of the second half of the 12th century, but especially with the Christ of the Deposition from the Cross in stone preserved at the Palais des Beaux Arts in Lille dated from the middle of the 12th century.

This one presents strong analogies with our sculpture, except for the nature of the stone, and a similar rough back. The vigor of the treatments, the rock used, the general plasticity direct us towards a production of the Strasbourg region, in the second half of the 12th century.
Related work: Christ of the Deposition from the Cross in stone preserved at the Palais des Beaux Arts in Lille Inv.LAP.14.
Works consulted: Romanesque sculpture in Alsace, Jean-Paul Fuhry, Suzanne Braun, Jacques Hampé, 2002 - Romanische Bronze-Kruzifixe, P. Bloch, Berlin, 1992.

Origin: Alsace, France

Medium: Sandstone, stone

Size: H:37cm excluding base

Period: 12th century

Condition: Missing, custom stand.

Ref.237