Lighting in the Painting: Comparison with Three Versions by Giampietrino

Overall lighting of Christ in the Painting

The distribution of illuminated areas suggests that the light comes from the left, from an elevated position. It highlights the face, shoulder, back, outer side of the upper arm and parts of the hand. The underside of the chin, the neck, the inner side of the upper arm and much of the forearm remain in shadow. These variations in light model the body and emphasise Christ’s musculature.

The saturation and contrast of the image have been increased to make it easier to interpret. Yellow arrows indicate illuminated areas, while red arrows mark areas in shadow. The symbol indicates the presumed position of the light source.

Lighting of the scene in Christ Carrying the Cross — enhanced visible image

Distribution of illuminated areas (yellow arrows) and areas in shadow (red arrows). The symbol indicates the presumed position of the light source. Saturation and contrast have been increased to make the image easier to interpret.

Overall comparison with Giampietrino’s Budapest version

The lighting in the Painting and in the Budapest version is broadly comparable in terms of the presumed position of the light source and the distribution of the main illuminated areas of Christ’s body. Closer examination, however, reveals significant differences in the modelling. In the Painting, this appears more developed: the transitions between light and shadow describe the contours of the face and the musculature of the body in greater detail. The observations made here using the Budapest version also apply to the London and Turin versions. White arrows mark some of these differences.

The area of the forehead between the hair and the crown of thorns is noticeably lighter in all three versions by Giampietrino. It is painted as a surface receiving frontal illumination and therefore does not reflect the light entering the scene from the left. In the Painting, this area remains slightly shaded, in keeping with the direction of the light and the orientation of the head. The study of pentimenti describes the removal of lead white in this area to darken the underlying paint slightly. A cast shadow beneath the prominence of the cheek also accentuates the volume of the face; it is not discernible in Giampietrino’s versions.

The variations in light also make the musculature of the back more distinct in the Painting. The visible part of the chest remains discernible in shadow, whereas it is barely distinguishable in Giampietrino’s versions. The following sections examine two further differences: the cast shadows at the thumb joints and the distribution of shadow across the forearm.

Christ Carrying the Cross: white arrows mark areas on the forehead, cheek, thumb, torso and forearm where the treatment of light differs from Giampietrino’s Budapest version.

White arrows added to the image of the Painting mark areas to compare with the same locations in the Budapest version, shown on the right without annotations.

Giampietrino’s Christ Carrying the Cross, Budapest version, showing light and shadow across Christ’s face, back, arm and hand.

Giampietrino, Christ Carrying the Cross, Budapest version: overall view used to compare the lighting and modelling of Christ with those in the Painting.

The hand: cast shadows at the thumb joints

Two cast shadows are clearly visible in the Painting: one at the crease of the thumb joint, the other where the thumb joins the hand. Marked by white arrows, they fall onto adjacent surfaces and emphasise the relief of these joints.

The 2020 LAM 5 image highlights the paint in the illuminated areas and makes their relationship with the darker parts of the hand particularly clear.

In all three versions by Giampietrino, the fingers and hand show modelling shadows, but the two cast shadows in the Painting are not distinctly visible in the same positions. The Budapest detail illustrates this difference: the transitions remain gradual, without the two separate cast shadows visible in the Painting.

Detail of Christ’s hand: two white arrows indicate the cast shadows at the thumb joint crease and where the thumb joins the hand.

Christ’s hand: white arrows indicate the cast shadows at the crease of the thumb joint and where the thumb joins the hand.

Detail of Christ’s hand in the 2020 LAM 5 image, highlighting the painted illuminated areas of the thumb, hand and wrist.

Christ’s hand, LAM 5 (2020): highlighting the paint in the illuminated areas.

Detail of Christ’s hand gripping the cross in Giampietrino’s Budapest version, showing light and shadow across the fingers, hand and wrist.

Giampietrino, Budapest version: detail of the lighting on Christ’s hand holding the cross.

The forearm: a different distribution of shadow

In all three versions by Giampietrino — Budapest, London and Turin — an oblique dark band crosses the middle of the forearm, between the illuminated areas near the wrist and elbow. The Budapest and London details shown below illustrate this shared arrangement, with more softly blended edges in the London version.

In the Painting, the shadow covers a larger part of the forearm and extends continuously, without forming this distinct dark band. The illuminated areas near the wrist and elbow thus frame a more extensively shaded surface.

Detail of Christ’s forearm in the painting, showing a broad, continuous shaded area between the lighter wrist and elbow.

Christ’s forearm in the Painting: a broad, continuous shadow, without a distinct transverse dark band.

Detail of Christ’s forearm in Giampietrino’s Budapest version, showing an oblique dark band between the lighter wrist and elbow.

Giampietrino, Budapest version: an oblique dark band crosses Christ’s forearm.

Detail of Christ’s forearm in Giampietrino’s London version, showing a softly blended oblique dark band between the lighter wrist and elbow.

Giampietrino, London version: an oblique dark band with softly blended edges crosses the forearm.