Large Living Christ crucifix carved boxwood Corpus Christi 47cm late 18th century
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Large boxwood sculpture depicting a crucified Christ, dating from the late 18th to early 19th centuries. This Corpus Christi figure is particularly moving: Christ's head is slightly inclined and his face is emaciated, marked by suffering yet imbued with great serenity. His eyes are half-closed, turned towards heaven.
The musculature of his body is faithfully detailed, and the Y-shaped position of his arms emphasizes the tension and pain of the body hanging from the cross. The drapery of the loincloth is precise; the folds of the fabric are deep and dynamic, lending movement to this otherwise static figure. The legs are classically bent and overlapping, the feet pierced by a single nail for fastening to the cross. A superb example of the devotional art of the period, which powerfully underscores the suffering of Christ.
This Christ is in good general condition. Its large size of 47 cm is exceptional because it implies a creation in a substantial block of boxwood (however, this shrub has slow growth, having a block of this size is rare for the workshops of the time and therefore testifies to the rarity of the sculpture).
Please note: there are some accidents and missing parts (especially on the hands), the arms have been glued back on, there are some cracks in the wood (especially at the torso), dirt and wear from age, please look carefully at the photos.
We have below two additional photo sets available for download, one for further details of the face and body of Christ; the other for the defects and missing parts.