A Moment of Frozen Drama…

Luca Signorelli - Lamentation over the Dead Christ - 1502 - Wood, 270 x 240 cm (108 x 96 in.) Museo Diocesano, Cortona (click photo for larger image)The static pose of the figures, which are seen in a moment of frozen drama, reveals strong links with popular religious plays. An account of Vasari says that Luca Signorelli (1445-1523) wanted to represent—in the figure of the naked Christ—his own son, who died of plague in 1502. “The Lamentation”, a work done entirely by the artist alone, reveals all the poetry of the painter even in the context of an unrefined style, which may seem declamatory, scenic and rhetorical. It strikes the observer with great power and energy on account of its dimensions, the liveliness of its color and the strong statuesque attitude of the figures. The central characters are expressive and are painted in an attitude of pain. According to Vasari, Signorelli was a pupil of Piero della Francesca and this seems highly probable, on stylistic grounds. His solid figures and sensitive handling of light certainly echo the work of the master. Signorelli differed from Piero, however, in his interest in the representation of action, which put him in line with contemporary Florentine artists.