The Resurrection of Christ

Bartholomeus Spranger
(1546 Antwerp – 1611 Prague)

The Resurrection of Christ
between 1577 and 1580

oil, wood, 112.5 x 85 cm; O 542.

After his studies with Flemish painters, Bartholomeus Spranger went to Italy where he gained further experience. In 1570 he started to serve Pope Pius V and in 1577 he worked for Emperor Maximilian II in Vienna. This painting was probably created at the time Spranger moved from Vienna to Prague where, in 1580, Emperor Rudolf II appointed him court painter. It is assumed that the painting was created as the epitaph for the imperial hospital in Vienna. The masterful dynamic composition has a bright atmosphere thanks to light pastel tones and confident brush strokes, undoubtedly the result of Spranger's Italian training. The virtuoso technique of the painting also tempts one to think that the painting could be intended as an independent work meant for a perceptive customer or collector.