Hic est veré Salvator Mundi.

item details

NameHic est veré Salvator Mundi.

ProductionJean Morin; engraver (printmaker); Mid 17th century; France
Philippe de Champaigne; artist

Classificationprints, etchings, engravings, stipple engravings, works on paper

Materialsink, paper

Materials Summaryetching, engraving and stipple engraving

Techniquesengraving, etching, stipple engraving

DimensionsPlate: 314mm (width), 430mm (height)

Registration Number1869-0001-335

Credit lineGift of Bishop Monrad, 1869

Overview

Jean Morin (1595/1605-1650) was a French baroque artist chiefly known for his engravings after leading artists of the time, such as Anthony van Dyck and Philippe de Champaigne. While the latter is known for his psychologically intelligent, austere portraiture, he was also a religious painter who favoured portrait like images of Christ as Salvator Mundi or Ecce Homo (Behold the Man).

Salvator Mundi, Latin for 'Saviour of the World', is a familiar subject in Christian and especially Catholic art, depicting Christ with his right hand raised in blessing and his left hand holding an orb surmounted by a cross, known as a globus cruciger. The latter symbolises the Earth and the whole composition has strong eschatological (Second Coming) undertones.

The inscription clearly indicates that the engraving is based on a painting, present location unknown, by Champaigne of Christ as Salvator Mundi. It has obviously been cropped in the engraving, and there is no tell-tale indication of the hand raised in blessing (nor indeed of the orb), but the solemn countenance does match the subject matter.

See:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Morin_(artist)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvator_Mundi

Dr Mark Stocker Curator, Historical International Art June 2017