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Corpus of Christ, from the Altarpiece of the Crucifixion

Brown and gold sculpture of crucified Jesus without the cross.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • Brown and gold sculpture of crucified Jesus without the cross.

Date:

1391–99

Artist:

Jacques de Baerze (Netherlandish, active before 1384–1399)
Melchior Broederlam (Netherlandish, about 1355–about 1411)

About this artwork

Corpus of Christ was originally the focal point of a large triptych combining painting and sculpture that was commissioned in 1390 by Philip the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, for the newly founded Charterhouse of Champol outside Dijon. Philip intended this monastery as a dynastic burial place, and he and his successors endowed it with artistic treasures. The triptych was a collaboration between two important artists from the Flemish territories controlled by Philip the Bold: the sculptor Jacques de Baerze and the painter Melchior Broederlam. When open, the altarpiece showed carved reliefs of the Crucifixion, the Adoration of the Magi, and the Entombment together with standing figures of saints. The gilded center could be covered by movable wings whose backs, painted with scenes from the Infancy of Christ by Broederlam, were visible when the altarpiece was closed. The triptych still survives in Dijon (Musée des Beaux-Arts), but the central figure of the crucified Christ was removed during the French Revolution. Even separated from its context within the altarpiece, however, the crucified Christ remains a powerfully expressive work. Christ’s tensed hands and feet and earthy features are realistically observed, while the curving contour of his torso and the folds of his loincloth reflect a more courtly ideal.

Status

On View, Gallery 237

Department

Painting and Sculpture of Europe

Artist

Jacques de Baerze

Title

Corpus of Christ, from the Altarpiece of the Crucifixion

Place

Flanders (Object made in)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1391–1399

Medium

Walnut with gilding and traces of polychromy

Dimensions

27.7 × 18.3 × 5.2 cm (11 × 6 1/4 × 2 1/16 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of Honoré Palmer

Reference Number

1944.1370

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

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https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/52560/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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