Although no painting of this subject by Romanino survives, this sheet is undoubtedly by him. The sturdy plebeian figure types and the expressive way they have been drawn without any refinement, strongly indicate that they are by him. Romanino has used a greenish-yellow wash on the sheet which is unusual in a sixteenth century drawing. Here, using only a few brushstrokes, the artist has effectively captured the strain expressed on the faces of the men as they remove Christ?s heavy dead body from the cross. The cloaked figure at the bottom of the ladder on the far left is the Virgin Mary, who wrings her hands and gasps as her son?s body is brought down towards her.
Girolamo Romanino (Italian, 1484/7 - about 1560)
A native of Brescia, where he may have studied, Romanino certainly received artistic training in Venice and Milan. His Venetian experience instilled in him an interest in the colouristic paintings of Titian and Giorgione, but also brought him into contact with the expressive work of the German artist Albrecht Durer. His studies in Milan exposed him to Bramante?s work and the rules of perspective. Romanino?s paintings display an eclectic mix of these influences, and he was considered rather eccentric by his contemporaries. He was, however, a highly original and talented artist, often making conscious changes to his style. A keen traveller, he spent much of his career exploring the artistic centres of northern Italy, creating altarpieces and frescoes, and absorbing a wide range of influences.
