Italy, Florentine region, Cafaggiolo / c. 1510
Plate Depicting Christ’s Passion
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Plate Depicting Christ’s Passion as ceramic (Italy, Florentine region, Cafaggiolo · c. 1510).
During the Renaissance, scenes from the Christian Bible were prominently featured on maiolica, covering the surface in a style called istoriato (decorated with stories).
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this ceramic as tin-glazed earthenware (maiolica) and credits Painter of the Royal Procession (Italian).
The museum's collection notes: The painted scenes on this plate depicting the Passion of Christ include the betrayal of Jesus by his disciple Judas (right); the arrest and condemnation by the Jews (left); the bearing of the cross (top); the Crucifixion (middle); and the resurrection (bottom). At least one of the scenes (the condemnation or the Scourging at the Pillar) is based on a Florentine woodcut from the devotional writings of Girolamo Savonarola (1452–1498).
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtPlate Depicting Christ’s PassionOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.