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Source Description

The seven scenes of this Passion altarpiece are carved from separate blocks of wood. They are: the Arrest of Christ, the Flagellation, Christ Carrying the Cross, the Crucifixion (crucified figures and angels are later replacements), Christ's Body Lowered from the Cross, the Entombment, and the Resurrection. Each vignette is individually composed and originally was probably divided from the next by slender columns at every third arch. We suggest this division by inserting a painted backdrop to complement the remaining authentic architectural detailing. To ensure that the drama of the Passion could be seen from a distance, the artist made the figures animated, with large heads and exaggerated gestures accentuated through color. He also raised the rear figures. The use of wood allows the carving of weapons and other intricate details as stone would not.In the 1490s, there were several workshops in Brussels producing large, complex carved altarpieces, often for distant markets. The most famous shop was that of Jan Borman, to which our altarpiece was once attributed. The Walters' altarpiece was made for the Collegiate Church of Blainville-Crevon in Normandy, in northwestern France.The altarpiece was damaged at some point in the past, perhaps during the 16th century conflicts between Protestants and Catholics. The Crucified Christ, the two thieves, and the attendant angels are 16th- or 17th-century replacements.

Scholar Source Context

Document identity
localId
6997
label
Altarpiece with the Passion of Christ
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
5
Source metadata
id
6997
contentType
object
stage
normalized
title
Altarpiece with the Passion of Christ
description
The seven scenes of this Passion altarpiece are carved from separate blocks of wood. They are: the Arrest of Christ, the Flagellation, Christ Carrying the Cross, the Crucifixion (crucified figures and angels are later replacements), Christ's Body Lowered from the Cross, the Entombment, and the Resurrection. Each vignette is individually composed and originally was probably divided from the next by slender columns at every third arch. We suggest this division by inserting a painted backdrop to complement the remaining authentic architectural detailing. To ensure that the drama of the Passion could be seen from a distance, the artist made the figures animated, with large heads and exaggerated gestures accentuated through color. He also raised the rear figures. The use of wood allows the carving of weapons and other intricate details as stone would not.In the 1490s, there were several workshops in Brussels producing large, complex carved altarpieces, often for distant markets. The most famous shop was that of Jan Borman, to which our altarpiece was once attributed. The Walters' altarpiece was made for the Collegiate Church of Blainville-Crevon in Normandy, in northwestern France.The altarpiece was damaged at some point in the past, perhaps during the 16th century conflicts between Protestants and Catholics. The Crucified Christ, the two thieves, and the attendant angels are 16th- or 17th-century replacements.
provenance
Jacques Seligmann, Paris, by purchase; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1911, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
date
1492-1495 (Late Medieval-Renaissance)
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
genreSpecific
Wood
altarpieces
imageCount
5
pageCount
5
source
import
dimensions
units
cm
width
235
height
367.3
depth
31.4
dimensionsRaw
92 1/2 x 144 5/8 x 12 3/8 in. (235 x 367.3 x 31.4 cm)on pedestal 42 3/4 x 146 x 13 in. (108.6 x 370.8 x 33 cm)
Source extras
cul
Flemish
style
Gothic
med
painted and gilded wood (oak)
creator_ids
15361
collection_ids
MED
REN
exhibition_ids
none
Page inventory
seq
1
type
photo
mediaId
e688c7740e05da90
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
2
type
photo
mediaId
276727f7bd5b64d6
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
3
type
photo
mediaId
e63ea11395e88a77
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
4
type
photo
mediaId
2402ed555a878bbb
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
5
type
photo
mediaId
c4992fa81cb28aff
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no