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The Man of Sorrows

ca. 1430
Not on view

Depicted upright in his tomb, hands extended to display his wounds, this exquisitely rendered Jesus has been conceived as a focus for meditation. A diminutive Saint Francis receives the stigmata and becomes a surrogate for the viewer. Elaborately framed, with the reverse painted to imitate porphyry (a stone with imperial associations) this would have been a precious object of devotion, perhaps for a Franciscan friar. The pattern on the deteriorated background derives from Islamic textiles.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: The Man of Sorrows
  • Artist: Michele Giambono (Michele Giovanni Bono) (Italian, active Venice 1420–62)
  • Date: ca. 1430
  • Medium: Tempera and gold on wood
  • Dimensions: Overall, with engaged frame, 21 3/4 x 15 3/4 in. (54.9 x 38.7 cm); painted surface 18 1/2 x 12 1/4 in. (47 x 31.1 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1906
  • Object Number: 06.180
  • Curatorial Department: European Paintings

Audio

Cover Image for 2639. Investigations: The Man of Sorrows, Part 1

2639. Investigations: The Man of Sorrows, Part 1

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Standing Apostle or Saint, Michele Giambono (Michele Giovanni Bono) (?) Italian, Pen and brown ink, touches of brush and darker brown wash, over black chalk.
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Lobster-Tail Burgonet, Steel, leather, gold, North Italian
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Jaharis Byzantine Lectionary, Tempera, gold, and ink on parchment; leather binding, Byzantine
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Sallet in the Shape of a Lion's Head, Steel, copper, gold, glass, pigment, textile, Italian
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The Adoration of the Magi, Giotto di Bondone Italian, Tempera on wood, gold ground
The Adoration of the Magi
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