Raphael's Lo spasimo di Sicilia

by 1959- Jordan, Mo?nica Culqui

My study of Raphael’s painting Christ Bearing the Cross also known as Lo Spasimo di Sicilia, 1515-16 concentrates on the style of the painting, its patronage, and the cultural milieu in which it was created. The formal aspects announce the artistic innovations of Raphael’s late career. The lasting impact the painting had on subsequent artistic generations demonstrates Raphael’s ingenuity and sprezzatura. The study further reveals the patron, Jacopo Basilico’s involvement with the work, his relationship with the Olivetan order, and how their association became a factor in the creation of the narrative. Lo Spasimo was produced in an artistic climate in which artists experimented and competed with one another to create their best works. Raphael transformed the traditional iconography of Christ Bearing the Cross, and in the process developed a new style of narrative painting less classically balanced from that of the Renaissance.