Christ Carrying the Cross, called "The Lord of the Fall"

Unknown

ca. 1770–75 · Oil and gold on canvas · The American Wing

This work belongs to the genre of "statue painting," that is, painted simulacra of sacred images. As a "true likeness" of a cult image, it was believed to possess the miraculous powers of the original, a sculpture of Christ the Nazarene venerated in the Cuzco church of San Francisco. The effectiveness of this type of painting depended on its veracity, a demand that led to the depiction not only of sculptures, but the altars and shrines where they were venerated. The sacred image of the Nazarene is displayed beneath a baldachin at the top of a stepped altar that is profusely decorated with additional sculptures, silver ornaments, and ephemera like candles, flowers, and feathers.

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 1770–75

Medium

Oil and gold on canvas

Culture

Peru (Cuzco)

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

Gift of James Kung Wei Li, in memory of Ambassador and Mme Ti-Tsun Li, Republic of China, 2018