Spanish or South French, late 12th/ 13th century

Christie's, London, 10 December 1996, The Property of a Lady, lot 20;
private collection, Dublin, Ireland

Traces of the original polychromy and gilding survive, in particular on the legs. Elsewhere it has flaked away revealing a whitish gesso-type layer, which is also substantially worn. There is non-active worming to the surface, particularly to the shoulders, hair and neck. There is stable splitting to the wood consistent with the material, in particular to the proper left side of the neck and hair and to the abdomen. There are also large splits to the reverse. The joints at the arms are stable but open. There are various small chips and losses to the corpus. There are small holes in the hair for the lost crown of thorns. Otherwise the condition is stable with dirt and wear to the surface consistent with age. The sculpture has a modern metal mount affixed to the reverse for suspension.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

A remarkable number of medieval corpora have survived from the areas North and South of the Pyrenees. Two of these, the Christ of 1147 in the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, Barcelona, and the corpus in the Descent from the Cross from Sant Joan de les Abadesses can be securely dated as they were consecrated in 1147 and 1251 respectively. They reveal two artistic tendencies: one towards elongation and another towards a more rounded stylised language. The present corpus is closer to the former with its narrow elongated head and drooping body. Comparisons include the figure of Christ from the Descent from the Cross from Santa Maria de Taüll also in the MNAC, note the crossed feet, the long perzonium and stylised rib cage.

RELATED LITERATURE
M. Castiñeiras and J. Camps, Romanesque art in the MNAC collection, Barcelona, 2008, pp. 145-150 and 159

RadioCarbon Dating Measurement Report No. RCD-8228, prepared by G Bird & W Laing for RCD RadioCarbon Dating, East Lockinge, sample taken April 2014, states that the sample of wood taken from the inside of the loincloth dates to between 1045 and 1224 CE (with 95% confidence intervals).