Bergamo, 1521. Lorenzo Lotto captures a suspended moment: Wednesday evening of Holy Week, at Bethany, Christ kneels before his mother before the Passion. A moment of overwhelming intimacy.
A Scene of Intimate Devotion
Observe this theatrical composition. Christ, kneeling, arms crossed, asks for his mother’s blessing. Mary collapses in the arms of John and Mary Magdalene. Peter and another apostle witness the scene. Lotto deploys a sumptuous chromatic palette. The painting reveals a fluid and expressive touch. In the foreground, a branch of cherries and an orange function as repoussoir, symbols of redemptive blood and Paradise. On the right, the kneeling female donor, accompanied by a small dog, piously contemplates the scene.
Architecture as Spiritual Metaphor
The action unfolds beneath a barrel vault supported by columns, evoking the courtyards of Bergamo palaces. On the left, the landscape opens onto the Lombard countryside. In the background appears a garden enclosed by high walls with a cruciform pergola. This symbolic architecture structures the pictorial space while bearing profound meaning. The theme, popularized by the Meditations of Pseudo-Bonaventure and the mysteries of the Passion, remains relatively rare in Italian Renaissance painting.
Lorenzo Lotto
Established in Bergamo between 1513 and 1525, Lorenzo Lotto (circa 1480-1556) developed a singular style blending Northern and Italian influences. He borrowed from Correggio the kneeling posture of Christ, while integrating the lessons of Raphael and Leonardo da Vinci. His psychological sensitivity distinguishes his religious works.
Think about it
💭 Why did the artist choose to place cherries and an orange in the foreground of this farewell scene?
About This Work
- Christ Taking Leave of His Mother
- Lorenzo Lotto
- 1521
- Painting on canvas
- 127.4 × 102 cm
- Gemäldegalerie, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
- https://recherche.smb.museum/detail/867120/christi-abschied-von-seiner-mutter
