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Andrea Previtali, 'Christ Blessing', about 1512-15

About the work

Overview

Christ raises his hand in blessing as Salvator Mundi, or ‘Saviour of the World’. Such pictures were particularly popular in north-east Italy in the second half of the fifteenth and the early sixteenth century and were usually made for the home. The popularity of this type of painting in Venice may have been due to the import of large numbers of similar paintings from the Netherlands.

Here Christ’s image is presented as though it were a portrait. His frontal pose and direct gaze are intended to appeal directly to the worshipper on a personal level.

This picture was probably painted in Bergamo shortly after Previtali’s return from Venice in 1511 or 1512. There is another slightly later version of Christ as Salvator Mundi by Previtali in the National Gallery’s collection, which is inscribed 1519.

Key facts

Details

Full title
Christ Blessing
Artist dates
about 1480 - 1528
Date made
about 1512-15
Medium and support
oil on wood
Dimensions
47.7 × 38.1 cm
Acquisition credit
Layard Bequest, 1916
Inventory number
NG3087
Location
Not on display
Collection
Main Collection
Previous owners

About this record

If you know more about this painting or have spotted an error, please contact us. Please note that exhibition histories are listed from 2009 onwards. Bibliographies may not be complete; more comprehensive information is available in the National Gallery Library.

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