South German Carved Boxwood Devotional Figure of the Crucified Christ

Epoque: 1600-1700

Origine: Germany

Medium: Boxwood

Dimension: 46 x 30 cm (18¹/₈ x 11³/₄ inches)

Provenance: Ex Private English collection

Literature: Christianity has the strongest visual tradition of all world faiths, but for the first three hundred years there was practically no Christian art produced. However, from the moment of the Roman Emperor Constantine’s conversion; his vision of a cross and his hearing of the injunction ‘In this, conquer’, Christianity made use of every possible image. Christian art came to be executed by the most talented artists to be found in Europe to convince people of Christ's divine mission. Apart from the depiction of the Virgin and Christ child, Christianity’s core image is of a man dying on a cross, and this visual experience brings a need for devotion. Spiritual practice suggests that disciplined endeavour is useful preparation for divine revelation, and so the daily stilling of the mind from the clamour of the world by means of prayer will bring an enduring experience of God.