Salvator Mundi

Image credit: The National Gallery, London

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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.

The National Gallery, London

London

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

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The National Gallery, London

Trafalgar Square, London, Greater London WC2N 5DN England

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