Descent From The Cross Analysis

Analysis of The Descent from the Cross Vincenzo, Danti’s “The Decent from the Cross” was cast in 1560. It is 44.5cm high by 47.1 cm wide, made from a blend of copper/bronze alloy commonly used for sculptures of that period which was then finished in a translucent green varnish. It is currently on display at the National Gallery in Washington, D.C. The evolution of the sculpted painting into what we commonly refer to as a Relief, was the first step towards larger cast bronze sculptures and eventually architecture on a grand scale. A work like this would commonly be used in a rustic grotto or as an inlay on an altar or possibly even the doors of a church. Early bronze work like Jade was designed to be handled and accessible. It combines Art and Devotion a common theme of the Renaissance. Is Danti truly Michelangelo’s greatest follower?

A brilliant aspect of the relief is the focal
point and topic of the piece. The decent of Jesus from the cross we see lightness almost buoyancy in the figure of Jesus almost as if he was about to leave the physical world and ascend to the right hand of God not to mention right out of the relief itself. Danti’s was educated in the spheres of the master Michelangelo, and it is evident in the great care taken in creating lightness and conveying an act in his works, particularly this piece. You can see the evidence of his early training as a goldsmith in the manner of this practice of Virtuoso Casting claims Cooper. “Although many sculptures of 15th and 16th centuries were extensively tooled, a cast which needed no such attention was regarded as Marvelous” as this piece is. (Donal Cooper). The cross on which Jesus was crucified stands empty as a symbol of Jesus suffering and endures in its spiritual significance to this day. The eye is pulled to the right where we find the image of the Virgin Mary, who also has an almost weightlessness yet more mortal than Jesus in a sense, because she is being supported by those around her in a moment of despair and tremendous sadness.
This connection is unmistakable, between a mother and her son. This type of relief tells a story as an image, which was ideal for those believers that were not literate. Stories or a narrative from the Old Testament utilized this pictorial technique of storytelling. Another interesting aspect of this relief is the frame. The gold inlay gives the piece a portal to Iconic status. It reminds me of religious icons of the Eastern Orthodox Church, yet it pre-dates them. The culture of 15th and 16th century renaissance scholars was equal passion for the beauty of classical design in all-artistic endeavors. This is evident in the columns that frame the piece, but the roughness of the over all impression of the piece contrasts the lightness of the divine. Essentially making the piece more approachable an accessible to the common
man.
In conclusion Dante had a tendency to want to liberate the sculpture from the bonds of the medium and this is evident in this particular work. He was considered Michelangelo’s best student yet they never met, and carried on the master’s techniques in all his works. Unfortunately he was in direct competition for notoriety in a field of some of the greatest of sculptors of this era. Recently some of the sculptures that were believed to have been the works of others were discovered to have been Danti’s.
His Devotion to art and the perfection of his craft is evident in all his work. Danti was indeed Michelangelo’s greatest follower as it is an ideal he followed and lived.