Jacopo Ligozzi (1547–1627) Verona, Florence, Christ Carrying the Cross,1604, oil on canvas,135.5 by 102.2 cm. signed lower left with the artist’s device of I-L surmounted by a cross, Image Source: https://commons.wikimedia
Who Created This Masterpiece?
One of the most prolific artists of the 1600s in Florence, Jacopo Ligozzi (1547–1627) is an Italian painter, illustrator, designer, and miniaturist whose style can be categorized as late-Renaissance and Mannerist.
After a period under the employment of the Habsburg family in Vienna, Jacopo Ligozzi [moves] to Florence circa 1576 where, swiftly recognized for his exceptional talent, he [is] engaged by the Medici… hired primarily as a draftsman, documenting flora and fauna from the gardens and menageries of the Medici with extraordinary naturalism and detail…. He [remains] in Florence under the patronage of the Medici family for the duration of his career. (Sotheby’s)
‘Christ Carrying the Cross’
Dated 1604, Christ Carrying the Cross is a dramatic painting by Jacopo Ligozzi, who signs at the base of the cross “with his initials I-L interlinked with a hyphen and surmounted with a cross, as an open declaration of his faith.” (Sotheby’s)
Jacopo Ligozzi (1547–1627) Verona, Florence, Christ Carrying the Cross,1604, oil on canvas,135.5 by 102.2 cm. signed lower left with the artist’s device of I-L surmounted by a cross, Image Source: https://commons.wikimedia (detail)During this decade, Ligozzi concentrates on scenes from the Passion, and to appeal to the Florentine Counter-Reformation, he chooses more somber subjects. According to Sotheby’s, “… his scenes and his intensely expressive figures [set} him apart from the ostentatious Baroque style fashionable in contemporary Florence.”
The catalogue continues:
The dynamism of the guard’s stride,,,and the chaotic crowd of faces and limbs are interposed by the figure of Christ, his meek expression creating a chastening calm that pervades the scene. The figure to the right of the cross, wearing a red hat and holding a spear, earnestly meets the viewers gaze, drawing us into the crowded scene and involving us directly in Christ’s suffering. (Sotheby’s)
Jacopo Ligozzi (1547–1627) Verona, Florence, Christ Carrying the Cross,1604, oil on canvas,135.5 by 102.2 cm. signed lower left with the artist’s device of I-L surmounted by a cross, Image Source: https://commons.wikimedia (detail)
Jacopo Ligozzi (1547–1627) Verona, Florence, Christ Carrying the Cross,1604, oil on canvas,135.5 by 102.2 cm. signed lower left with the artist’s device of I-L surmounted by a cross, Image Source: https://commons.wikimedia (detail)
“[Ligozzi’s] skill for replicating details from life is demonstrated in this painting through the realism of textures and surfaces, the naturalism of the guard’s bare forearm and the almost still life quality of the woven twigs in the crown of thorns.
Jacopo Ligozzi (1547–1627) Verona, Florence, Christ Carrying the Cross,1604, oil on canvas,135.5 by 102.2 cm. signed lower left with the artist’s device of I-L surmounted by a cross, Image Source: https://commons.wikimedia (detail)
Consider the following details:
the twigs in the crown of thorns
the bare forearm of the guard
the texture of each surface (metal, wood, cloth, skin)
the weapons
the guard’s clothing, armor, and doublet
the tasseled cords
the highly decorative pommel of the sword
the glossy fabric
the emotion written on each face
Click for Enlarged Detail:
Jacopo Ligozzi (1547–1627) Verona, Florence, Christ Carrying the Cross,1604, oil on canvas,135.5 by 102.2 cm. signed lower left with the artist’s device of I-L surmounted by a cross, Image Source: https://commons.wikimedia (detail)
Jacopo Ligozzi (1547–1627) Verona, Florence, Christ Carrying the Cross,1604, oil on canvas,135.5 by 102.2 cm. signed lower left with the artist’s device of I-L surmounted by a cross, Image Source: https://commons.wikimedia (detail)
Jacopo Ligozzi (1547–1627) Verona, Florence, Christ Carrying the Cross,1604, oil on canvas,135.5 by 102.2 cm. signed lower left with the artist’s device of I-L surmounted by a cross, Image Source: https://commons.wikimedia (detail)
Jacopo Ligozzi (1547–1627) Verona, Florence, Christ Carrying the Cross,1604, oil on canvas,135.5 by 102.2 cm. signed lower left with the artist’s device of I-L surmounted by a cross, Image Source: https://commons.wikimedia (detail)
Jacopo Ligozzi (1547–1627) Verona, Florence, Christ Carrying the Cross,1604, oil on canvas,135.5 by 102.2 cm. signed lower left with the artist’s device of I-L surmounted by a cross, Image Source: https://commons.wikimedia (detail)
Jacopo Ligozzi (1547–1627) Verona, Florence, Christ Carrying the Cross,1604, oil on canvas,135.5 by 102.2 cm. signed lower left with the artist’s device of I-L surmounted by a cross, Image Source: https://commons.wikimedia (detail)
Jacopo Ligozzi (1547–1627) Verona, Florence, Christ Carrying the Cross,1604, oil on canvas,135.5 by 102.2 cm. signed lower left with the artist’s device of I-L surmounted by a cross, Image Source: https://commons.wikimedia (detail)
Jacopo Ligozzi (1547–1627) Verona, Florence, Christ Carrying the Cross,1604, oil on canvas,135.5 by 102.2 cm. signed lower left with the artist’s device of I-L surmounted by a cross, Image Source: https://commons.wikimedia (detail)
Jacopo Ligozzi (1547–1627) Verona, Florence, Christ Carrying the Cross,1604, oil on canvas,135.5 by 102.2 cm. signed lower left with the artist’s device of I-L surmounted by a cross, Image Source: https://commons.wikimedia (detail)
Jacopo Ligozzi (1547–1627) Verona, Florence, Christ Carrying the Cross,1604, oil on canvas,135.5 by 102.2 cm. signed lower left with the artist’s device of I-L surmounted by a cross, Image Source: https://commons.wikimedia (detail)
Jacopo Ligozzi (1547–1627) Verona, Florence, Christ Carrying the Cross,1604, oil on canvas,135.5 by 102.2 cm. signed lower left with the artist’s device of I-L surmounted by a cross, Image Source: https://commons.wikimedia (detail)
Jacopo Ligozzi (1547–1627) Verona, Florence, Christ Carrying the Cross,1604, oil on canvas,135.5 by 102.2 cm. signed lower left with the artist’s device of I-L surmounted by a cross, Image Source: https://commons.wikimedia (detail)
Jacopo Ligozzi (1547–1627) Verona, Florence, Christ Carrying the Cross,1604, oil on canvas,135.5 by 102.2 cm. signed lower left with the artist’s device of I-L surmounted by a cross, Image Source: https://commons.wikimedia (detail)
Jacopo Ligozzi (1547–1627) Verona, Florence, Christ Carrying the Cross,1604, oil on canvas,135.5 by 102.2 cm. signed lower left with the artist’s device of I-L surmounted by a cross, Image Source: https://commons.wikimedia (detail)
Jacopo Ligozzi (1547–1627) Verona, Florence, Christ Carrying the Cross,1604, oil on canvas,135.5 by 102.2 cm. signed lower left with the artist’s device of I-L surmounted by a cross, Image Source: https://commons.wikimedia (detail)
Jacopo Ligozzi (1547–1627) Verona, Florence, Christ Carrying the Cross,1604, oil on canvas,135.5 by 102.2 cm. signed lower left with the artist’s device of I-L surmounted by a cross, Image Source: https://commons.wikimedia (detail)
Jacopo Ligozzi (1547–1627) Verona, Florence, Christ Carrying the Cross,1604, oil on canvas,135.5 by 102.2 cm. signed lower left with the artist’s device of I-L surmounted by a cross, Image Source: https://commons.wikimedia (detail)
Jacopo Ligozzi (1547–1627) Verona, Florence, Christ Carrying the Cross,1604, oil on canvas,135.5 by 102.2 cm. signed lower left with the artist’s device of I-L surmounted by a cross, Image Source: https://commons.wikimedia (detail)
Jacopo Ligozzi (1547–1627) Verona, Florence, Christ Carrying the Cross,1604, oil on canvas,135.5 by 102.2 cm. signed lower left with the artist’s device of I-L surmounted by a cross, Image Source: https://commons.wikimedia (detail)
Jacopo Ligozzi (1547–1627) Verona, Florence, Christ Carrying the Cross,1604, oil on canvas,135.5 by 102.2 cm. signed lower left with the artist’s device of I-L surmounted by a cross, Image Source: https://commons.wikimedia (detail)
Jacopo Ligozzi (1547–1627) Verona, Florence, Christ Carrying the Cross,1604, oil on canvas,135.5 by 102.2 cm. signed lower left with the artist’s device of I-L surmounted by a cross, Image Source: https://commons.wikimedia (detail)
Jacopo Ligozzi (1547–1627) Verona, Florence, Christ Carrying the Cross,1604, oil on canvas,135.5 by 102.2 cm. signed lower left with the artist’s device of I-L surmounted by a cross, Image Source: https://commons.wikimedia (detail)
Jacopo Ligozzi (1547–1627) Verona, Florence, Christ Carrying the Cross,1604, oil on canvas,135.5 by 102.2 cm. signed lower left with the artist’s device of I-L surmounted by a cross, Image Source: https://commons.wikimedia (detail)
Jacopo Ligozzi (1547–1627) Verona, Florence, Christ Carrying the Cross,1604, oil on canvas,135.5 by 102.2 cm. signed lower left with the artist’s device of I-L surmounted by a cross, Image Source: https://commons.wikimedia (detail)
Jacopo Ligozzi (1547–1627) Verona, Florence, Christ Carrying the Cross,1604, oil on canvas,135.5 by 102.2 cm. signed lower left with the artist’s device of I-L surmounted by a cross, Image Source: https://commons.wikimedia (detail)
Jacopo Ligozzi (1547–1627) Verona, Florence, Christ Carrying the Cross,1604, oil on canvas,135.5 by 102.2 cm. signed lower left with the artist’s device of I-L surmounted by a cross, Image Source: https://commons.wikimedia (detail)
Jacopo Ligozzi (1547–1627) Verona, Florence, Christ Carrying the Cross,1604, oil on canvas,135.5 by 102.2 cm. signed lower left with the artist’s device of I-L surmounted by a cross, Image Source: https://commons.wikimedia (detail)
Jacopo Ligozzi (1547–1627) Verona, Florence, Christ Carrying the Cross,1604, oil on canvas,135.5 by 102.2 cm. signed lower left with the artist’s device of I-L surmounted by a cross, Image Source: https://commons.wikimedia (detail)
Jacopo Ligozzi (1547–1627) Verona, Florence, Christ Carrying the Cross,1604, oil on canvas,135.5 by 102.2 cm. signed lower left with the artist’s device of I-L surmounted by a cross, Image Source: https://commons.wikimedia (detail)
Jacopo Ligozzi (1547–1627) Verona, Florence, Christ Carrying the Cross,1604, oil on canvas,135.5 by 102.2 cm. signed lower left with the artist’s device of I-L surmounted by a cross, Image Source: https://commons.wikimedia
The Power of Narrative Painting
Much has been written about Jacopo Ligozzi’s Christ Carrying the Cross, a dramatic narrative portrayal of Christ surrounded by his persecutors and onlookers on the way to Calvary. I did not understand the power of this painting until studying the enlarged details in the face of Christ. With close proximity, I cease to be a bystander who can choose to look away. This painting tells a story which can be read in the eyes of Jesus. While I look at this enlarged detail,
Christ seems to be looking at mealone.
Jacopo Ligozzi (1547–1627) Verona, Florence, Christ Carrying the Cross,1604, oil on canvas,135.5 by 102.2 cm. signed lower left with the artist’s device of I-L surmounted by a cross, Image Source: https://commons.wikimedia (detail)
That is exactly how I feel looking at it. Thanks for visiting, Leola. Your blog is a delight, and I am looking forward to enjoying much more time there. Your messages and photos are both beautiful! ❤️🙏😊
Amazing composition, filled with physical details, textures, and emotion.
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I just realized that an older draft had published. So sorry – fixed now. Thanks so much for commenting, Rosaliene. 🙂
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Awesome detail. I’m in awe of people who can do these things. I haven’t graduated beyond crayons and stick figures yet…
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lol, I am in awe of them, too! I appreciate your visit, Eclectic Contrarian! 😎
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The emotion on the face of Christ just grips you, knowing what He was really going through.
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That is exactly how I feel looking at it. Thanks for visiting, Leola. Your blog is a delight, and I am looking forward to enjoying much more time there. Your messages and photos are both beautiful! ❤️🙏😊
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Thank you so much for stopping by, and I’ll also be visiting your blog from time to time.
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It is amazing how Ligozzi captures the emotions of his subjects.
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