Alessandro Magnasco, Follower of (Genoa, 1667 - 1749)
Christ Crucified with a Kneeling Friar, 1720/1730 ca.
oil on canvas; inv. P 106
acquisition: bequest of Agostino Sieri Pepoli, 1910
Painted on this small canvas by a follower of Alessandro Magnasco is one of many Crucifixions scenes called “dalle braccia strette” in which Christ is depicted with his arms upright in a “Y” pose. These small devotional pictures were intended to decorate kneelers and confessional booths.
The Crucifix, seen in a three-quarter view and often distorted to accentuate the expressiveness, is accompanied by the anachronistic figure of a saint or monk in adoration. Our example of this type of painting derives from an original by Magnasco, now held in the Perrando Museum in Sassello (Savona).
By comparing this painting to the original, we can see that the canvas was probably trimmed at the top and bottom. Due to this, an open book at the feet of the cross is missing.
