The Deposition 1629 - 1675

Bertholet Flémalle painted ‘The Deposition’ in oil on canvas. It depicts the removal of Christ’s body from the cross. Flémalle was a leading painter in Liège, now in Belgium, during the second half of the 17th century. Liège had a complex relationship with both the Spanish Netherlands and the Dutch Republic, maintaining formal independence while being deeply influenced by the art of both. Paintings such as this one were commissioned to adorn churches and monasteries. The formal language of such images reflected the power of the church, while also speaking to a more personal relationship with God. Religious orders such as the Jesuits emphasized emotion as a means of devotion, and this is reflected in the exaggerated grief of the figures surrounding Christ’s body. The historian can learn much about the culture of 17th century Europe by studying paintings like this. Contemporary sermons, treatises, and other devotional works can help us to better understand the social and institutional context in which it was made.