crucified Jesus reclined next to seated Mary, comforted by another woman behind her; two other figures at L examine wound in Jesus' PR hand

Pietà, or the "Christ of Caprarola", 1597

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This is Annibale’s first print following his resettlement in Rome. The word Caprarola next to his signature is the name of a town about 50 miles outside the city, perhaps the place where he made the etching. In any case, the inscription suggests that Annibale visited the magnificent Villa Farnese located there, probably to study the spectacular frescoes painted on its walls, since the Farnese family had just hired him to paint major frescoes in their palace in Rome.

It had been a few years since Annibale had made an etching, and here he no longer had his Bologna studio mates for technical support. The result was a web of lines in the sky due to an accident during the etching process. Could he have considered this a happy accident' Afterall, he published the plate and may have appreciated the emotional resonance between the frazzled sky and the emotions of Jesus’s mourners.

Details
Title
Pietà, or the "Christ of Caprarola"
Artist Life
Italian (Bologna), 1560-1609
Role
Artist
Accession Number
2010.45.3
Provenance
Pierre Mariette, Paris, 1667 (cf. Lugt 1789, 1634-1716); [Craddock and Barnard, London]; Sale, Sotheby's, London, March 30, 2010, part of no. 8, to MIA
Catalogue Raisonne
DeGrazia Bohlin 18 vi/vii
Curator Approved

This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.

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crucified Jesus reclined next to seated Mary, comforted by another woman behind her; two other figures at L examine wound in Jesus' PR hand