Francesco Messina - The Christ

One of the most popular iconographies in the history of Western art, the Crucifixion has its origins in the early Christian era, later developing over the centuries into the most recent expressions of contemporary art. The traditional iconography of Jesus on the cross has countless variants, from the simplest, featuring only the crucified Jesus Christ, to the version accompanied by the “mourners,” the Virgin Mary and Saint John the Evangelist. In the Middle Ages, Crucifixion scenes became increasingly elaborate: the crosses of the thieves were added, and gradually more figures were included until they became the setting for large-scale ensemble scenes. It is also often accompanied by symbolic elements such as, for example, the presence
of the sun and the moon, or the skull of Adam beneath Christ’s cross (signifying the redemptive power of Christ’s Passion in relation to original sin).

Francesco Messina’s research focuses on the study of the human body, which is the central subject of his sculptures. As we can see from this Christ, he has an exquisitely classical vision, guided by principles of naturalistic rendering, harmony, and balance. The representation is based on a clear exaltation of plastic values, softly modeled with refined anatomical precision. The movement and torsion of the body are also executed naturally.

Francesco Messina was born in Linguaglossa in 1900 and passed away in Milan in 1995; he was primarily a sculptor. He was the author of highly important Italian monuments, such as the Via Crucis in San Giovanni Rotondo; the RAI Horse; and the Monument to Pius XII in St. Peter’s Basilica. His works are preserved in numerous museums not only in Italy but also abroad. Critics place him alongside Manzù, Sassu, and Marini for his research on the human figure, recontextualized according to a contemporary sensibility.

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