| Veiled Christ | |
|---|---|
| Italian: Cristo Velato | |
_(cropped).jpg) | |
| Artist | Giuseppe Sanmartino |
| Year | 1753 |
| Type | Sculpture, tomb effigy |
| Medium | Marble |
| Dimensions | 50 cm × 80 cm × 180 cm (20 in × 31 in × 71 in) |
| Location | Cappella Sansevero, Naples, Italy |
Veiled Christ (Italian: Cristo velato) is a carved marble sculpture completed in 1753 by the Neapolitan artist Giuseppe Sanmartino. It is formed from a single block of white marble, and was commissioned by Raimondo di Sangro, a prince of Sansevero, as the centerpiece of the Cappella Sansevero, in Naples, Italy.
It is regarded as Sanmartino’s masterpiece, largely due to the rendering of the transparent veil, and thus considered one of the world's most remarkable sculptures. Due to its life-like representation of the body of Jesus and the illusionary and trompe-l'œil veil, the sculpture was thought by many to have been created via alchemy.[1][2]
It is considered a masterpiece of 18th-century sculpture and launched Sanmartino's career.
- ^ Albright (2013), p. 19
- ^ Istvan, Rachel. "The Veiled Christ: Art or Alchemy?". DailyArt Magazine, 3 August 2022. Retrieved 2 July 2023