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Christ appears as Salvator Mundi, or ‘Saviour of the World’, with a crystal orb in his left hand and his right hand raised in blessing, its shadow falling across his breast. The orb, surmounted by a golden cross, symbolises Christ’s rule on earth. His direct gaze and frontal pose engage the worshipper on a personal level. The painted marble frame makes it appear as though Christ occupies a real space and that we could reach into the picture and touch him. It also adds to the sense that the orb is projecting towards us. The inscription means ‘Andrea Previtali painted this in 1519’. The painting was probably made for a private patron in Bergamo shortly after Previtali’s return from Venice. This type of painting was popular in Venice, perhaps because large numbers of similar pictures were imported to the city from the Netherlands.
Title
Salvator Mundi
Date
1519
Medium
Oil on poplar
Measurements
H 61.6 x W 53 cm
Accession number
NG2501
Acquisition method
Salting Bequest, 1910
Work type
Painting
The National Gallery, London
Trafalgar Square, London, Greater London WC2N 5DN England
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