The Resurrection
Marco Zoppo (Marco Ruggeri known as Lo Zoppo) Italian
Not on view
Zoppo, a painter and draftsman active in Padua, Venice, and Bologna, was a friend of Andrea Mantegna and was admired in North-Italian humanist circles. This rare, large, and highly finished drawing of about 1465–70 depicts the Resurrection, at the moment when Christ has risen from the tomb, while the Roman guards sleep oblivious to the event. The Savior's ascetic anatomy, with gaunt, defined musculature that is unsparingly naturalistic, recalls Donatello's style in the 1450s, when the great Florentine sculptor was at work in the Basilica of Sant'Antonio in Padua. Here, Christ in the foreground seems to move directly toward us, as he raises his hand to give his blessing. Zoppo crisply defined many of the forms throughout the composition with dark wash and fine, carefully applied creamy white gouache highlights against the greenish, light-brown background paper. The definition of the forms and overall chromatic effects liken the composition to a bronze relief. The drawing was likely intended as a finished work, in and of itself, perhaps presented to a patron or friend of the artist. The Met's drawing was previously attributed to Andrea Mantegna, whose style it partly evidences, but is now recognized as an autograph work by Zoppo. A similar study by the artist is the Kneeling Saint now in the British Museum, London (inv. 1875,0710.1039). (CCB)
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