Antique Painting Christ In Purgatory Oil On Hardboard XVI-xvii Century

Oil on panel. Lombard school, late 16th–early 17th century.
In Christian iconography, this iconographic and theological subject depicts Jesus visiting or freeing the souls in purgatory.
Christ is usually depicted reaching out his hand or turning his gaze toward the souls, as in this painting, which shows him grasping the arm of a soul with one hand after having torn open the gates of Purgatory; while the others look on in contemplation or supplication, and above, the devils of Hell express their rage.
The central figure of Christ radiates a light that benefits the souls in Purgatory closest to Him, while the upper part of the scene, evoking Hell, is illuminated by the red hues of the fire of eternal damnation.
The painting has been restored in the past and reinforced on the back with wooden paneling.
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