Artwork

The Lamentation over the Dead Christ

The Lamentation over the Dead Christ, by Quinten Metsys, oil, 1511
The Lamentation over the Dead Christ, by Quinten Metsys, oil, 1511

The Lamentation over the Dead Christ is an oil painting by the Northern Renaissance artist Quinten Metsys. It dates from 1511 and is held in the collection of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp.

About this work

The Lamentation over the Dead Christ is a painting by Quinten Metsys. It was created in 1511.

The painting was made for the carpenters' guild in Antwerp Cathedral. This suggests that the artwork has a significant history and connection to the location where it was originally displayed.

To learn more about the style and methods used in this painting, consider looking up the technique of glazing.

Overview

The Lamentation over the Dead Christ is a triptych painted in oil by Quinten Metsys in 1511. It remains in Antwerp Cathedral, its original location.

Subject & Meaning

The central panel depicts the Lamentation, while the side panels show the martyrdom of John the Evangelist and Salome presenting John the Baptist's head to Herod, referencing the patron saints of the carpenters' guild.

History & Provenance

Commissioned by the carpenters' guild, the painting has a significant connection to Antwerp Cathedral, where it was originally displayed and remains today.

Technique & Style

Executed in oil paint, the work likely employed techniques such as glazing to achieve its visual effects.

Artist & collection

Portrait of Quinten Metsys

Artist

Quinten Metsys

Quentin Matsys (UK: MAT-sysse, US: MAHT-sysse; also Massys or Metsys; Flemish: Quinten Matsijs ; 1466–1530) was a Flemish painter in the Early Netherlandish tradition.