Kruisafneming 1583 - 1593

Orazio Farinati made this black chalk drawing, titled "Descent from the Cross," in Italy, sometime around the turn of the seventeenth century. This was a period of religious reform and intense debate, and images played a critical role in shaping religious thought. The image depicts a scene of grief, as Christ's body is removed from the cross. Take note of the strong, perhaps even exaggerated, emotions on display. This feature is typical of the Mannerist style that was fashionable at the time. Mannerism valued drama and emotional intensity over the calm restraint of earlier Renaissance art. The image presents us with a very human Christ, whose suffering is meant to stir feelings of piety in the viewer. Works such as this were important in the Counter-Reformation, as the Catholic Church sought to reaffirm its spiritual authority through art. By studying the religious history of the period, and by understanding the artistic conventions of Mannerism, we can better appreciate the social role this image was intended to play.