Unidentified 16th-century follower of Donatello (c.1386–1466), The dead Christ tended by angels, c.1520–1540. Stone carved relief, 80.5 × 114.3 cm. Victoria and Albert Museum, London
This large relief of the dead Christ supported by angels was carved in Italy during the first half of the 16th century. The composition deliberately recalls the pathos and expressive force associated with Donatello (c.1386–1466), whose work remained a model for sculptors long after his death. The treatment of Christ’s body, elongated and slightly twisted, together with the animated gestures of the angels, reflects an attentive study of Donatello’s Florentine reliefs.
Although the sculptor’s identity is unknown, the work demonstrates how Donatello’s legacy was sustained by later artists, who reinterpreted his innovations in new contexts. The style suggests a workshop or follower active in central Italy between about 1520 and 1540, when Donatello’s reputation was particularly strong among carvers of marble and stone relief.
The relief’s large scale and subject matter indicate its original function as a devotional object, probably intended for a private chapel or funerary setting. The theme of angels mourning over the dead Christ had a long tradition in Italian art, allowing the viewer to meditate on the Passion through a combination of tenderness and solemnity.