The Rediscovery of Mantegna’s “Deposition of Christ”
Andrea Mantegna’s (1431-1506) Deposition of Christ is now being displayed at the Vatican Museums in Rome for three months, which began March 20. This limited exhibition is titled “The Mantegna of Pompeii. A Rediscovered Masterpiece.” The painting, initially thought to be lost and is now identified, shows Christ’s descent from the cross to being laid in a tomb. Centuries after the painting had been a mystery; it resurfaced in Pompeii at the Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary. It will be on display at the Vatican Pinacoteca.
The professor of Modern Art History at Suor Orsola Benincasa University in Naples, Stefano De Mieri, led a search that aided in the painting’s rediscovery. Over the centuries, loads of overpainting had impaired the image, but the removal of this overpainting confirmed the origins of Mantegna’s composition. This has been considered a major discovery, considering the painting was last heard of in the 16th century. Barbara Jatta, director of the Vatican Museums, said, “The restoration revealed iconographic and technical details that confirm Mantegna’s authorship, restoring to art history a masterpiece thought to be lost.”
Sources:
https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/archaeology-around-the-world/article-846651
https://www.cathstan.org/culture/vatican-unveils-lost-renaissance-painting-of-the-deposition-of-christ
https://ilgiornaledellarte.com/Articolo/Un-Mantegna-ritrovato-da-Pompei-ai-Vaticani?utm_source=mailup&utm_medium=newsletter
Vatican unveils ‘lost’ Renaissance painting of the deposition of Christ
– Georgia Guerrero
