How to Cite
License (Chapter)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Identifiers (Book)
Published
Von Wellen, Wolken und Wirbeln. Zur ambiguen Morphologie des Fluiden und ihren ästhetischen und theologischen Reflexionsfiguren in Mantegnas Cristo in scurto
Andrea Mantegna’s depiction of the dead, laid out Christ, the socalled Cristo in scurto, is among the most multifaceted and daring compositions in the genre of devotional images of the 15th century. Despite various descriptions of the painting and numerous detailed observations, its novelty has primarily been identified in its drastic perspective foreshortening and the composition of the pictorial space. In contrast, the textures and patterns of the mineral and textile artifacts accompanying the laid out Christ have received less attention. Notably, it is these very aspects of material staging–particularly the simulated materiality of stone–that govern processes, dynamics, and conditions of fluid transformation as elements of the painting‘s narrative. These aspects have largely been overlooked in previous research. This article addresses these neglected dimensions, specifically the nuanced interplay between stasis and movement, petrification and animation, solidification and liquefaction. It is these dialectical potentials of material staging that highlight fluidity as an ambivalent aesthetic paradigm and theological concept in Mantegna‘s painting.
