Studies for the Body of Christ in a Pieta

Sebastiano Piombo

Summary

A reproduction produced by the Vasari Society of a drawing by Sebastiano Piombo. The drawing shows a series of sketches for a 'Pietà' with three full sketches of Christ's body: one in the upper centre, the second in the lower centre slightly to the left and the third in the lower centre slightly to the right. Each figure lies with his head towards the left, his left arm resting on his thighs and his right arm hanging forward. In the upper right of the composition, three more arms and hands have been drawn in. There is another small figure sketched in against the left edge of the paper. Text from the accompanying booklet produced by the Vasari Society: "No. 7 SEBASTIANO DEL PIOMBO (b. 1485; d. 1547) STUDIES FOR THE BODY OF CHRIST IN A PIETÀ Library of Christ Church, Oxford, B. 20. From the Carlo Ridolfi Collection. Black chalk. 18.2 X 27 cm. (7 1/8 x 10 5/8 in.). Four studies of a reclining nude male figure with three seperate sketches of the right arm and hand. Described by Mr. Berenson (Drawings of the Florentine Painters, No. 2492) as for the Christ in the picture of the Pietà in the Museo Civico at Viterbo, but may with equal probablity be studies for the picture of the same subject in the Hermitage. The attitude and positions of the limbs do not in either case correspond very closely with the drawing. Both pictures are considered by Signor D'Achiardi to date from about 1514-17 (Sebastiano del Piombo, pp. 121-3). The extreme delicacy of execution in the shading is unfortunatley lost in the reproduction, which exaggerates the somewhat weak accentuation of the outline. C. F. B."