Corpus from a crucifix 1740 - 1755

This is a porcelain figure of Christ on the cross, made by the Doccia Porcelain Manufactory, sometime between 1737 and 1896. Note how the stark whiteness of the porcelain contrasts with the visceral reality of the subject matter. The figure is not idealized but rendered with a striking naturalism: the sagging flesh, the contorted pose, and the marks of suffering are all evident. Yet, the smooth, flawless surface of the porcelain creates a distance, a sense of unreality. The use of porcelain as a medium complicates the reading of the piece. Porcelain, traditionally associated with luxury and refinement, here serves to depict a scene of extreme pain and sacrifice. This tension destabilizes conventional meanings, inviting us to reconsider the relationship between form and content, beauty and suffering. Does the choice of material elevate or diminish the spiritual significance of the image? Does it challenge the values it seems to represent? These are the questions the work poses.