At first glance the Dead Christ is a devotional image: the culmination of Christ’s suffering. The history of the image is somewhat unknown and it has been speculated that it was a personal devotional image for Mantegna. What appears certain is that the very nature of the painting centers on the individual.

The dramatic foreshortening in Mantegna’s image has intrigued many critics and has been analyzed for is pictorial devices. Craigie Aitchison, a Scottish painter and one of the better known critically esteemed Royal Academians, recalls the Lamentation over the Dead Christ as his favorite painting, stating:

“I like it because it tells a Story... It's a wonderful reddy colour and terrifically drawn... If ever a painting was clear, it's this one. It's fantastically clear about the story it's telling - there's no muddling about.

It couldn't be any other way”(Highbeam research)

Mantegna's Dead Christ is regarded as an indispensable art piece and he deserves the acclaim for the merit of these essentials in his work of art.

history of italian renaissance art || the life of an object of art || silvia minguzzi || spring 2012