Francesco Messina - The Christ

A popular iconography throughout the history of Western art, the Crucifixion has its origins in the early Christian era and has developed over the centuries, culminating in the most recent expressions of contemporary art. The traditional iconography of Jesus on the cross has countless variations, from the simplest, featuring only the crucified Christ, to the version accompanied by the "mourners," the Madonna and Saint John the Evangelist. In the Middle Ages, Crucifixion scenes began to become increasingly elaborate: thieves' crosses were added, and gradually more and more figures were added, until they became the subject of large choral scenes. It is often accompanied by symbolic elements, such as the presence of the sun and moon or Adam's skull beneath Christ's cross (which signifies the redemptive action of Christ's Passion in the face of original sin).

Francesco Messina's research focuses on the study of the human body, which is the central focus of his sculptures. As we can see from this Christ, he has an exquisitely classical vision of it, dictated by principles of naturalistic rendering, harmony, and balance. The representation is based on a clear exaltation of plasticity, modeled softly and with refined anatomical precision. Even the movement and torsion of the body are rendered naturally.

Francesco Messina was born in Linguaglossa in 1900 and died in Milan in 1995. He was primarily a sculptor. He created important Italian monuments, such as the Stations of the Cross in San Giovanni Rotondo; the RAI Horse; and the Monument to Pius XII in St. Peter's Basilica. His works are held in numerous museums both in Italy and abroad. Critics compare him to Manzù, Sassu, and Marini for his exploration of the human figure, recontextualized according to a contemporary sensibility.

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