Polychrome Wooden Corpus Christi — 16th Century — Flanders

Polychrome wooden Corpus Christi — 16th century - Flanders - Netherlands.

This Corpus Christi, carved in wood and retaining its original polychromy, is attributable to a 16th-century Flemish workshop.
This work belongs to the tradition of devotional sculpture from the Low Countries, where the pursuit of expressiveness is combined with a careful observation of human anatomy.

Description:

The figure presents a slender body with elongated proportions, typical of Northern Renaissance statuary.
The torso, treated with subtle modeling of the ribcage and abdomen, reflects a naturalistic intent tempered by a stylization inherited from late Gothic models.
The slightly bent legs accentuate the vertical tension of the composition.
The inclined head, with its emaciated features and closed eyes, expresses a contemplative inner peace rather than demonstrative pathos.
The sculpted hair and beard, rendered in soft, deep strands, create a play of shadows that enhances the dramatic dimension of the figure. The loincloth, enlivened by angular and dynamic folds, retains traces of gilding and polychromy, attesting to the original richness of the presentation.

The partially preserved polychromy reveals pigmented highlights evoking the stigmata and marks of the Passion.

Dimensions: 35 × 35 cm

Condition:

Very good condition. The visible alterations—wear, occasional losses, and lifting—contribute to the historical understanding of the object and attest to its age and prolonged devotional use.

Through its artistic qualities and state of preservation, this sculpture is a representative example of 16th-century Flemish production intended for private piety or the adornment of a liturgical space.

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