Joseph of Arimathea from the Mourning over the dead Christ

myminifactory

This statue of biblical figure Joseph of Arimathea is part of a collection of 7 statues titled "The Mourning over the Dead Christ", created by Niccolò dell'Arca. This unidentified Renaissance masterpiece stands out due to both its realism and expressionism in the characters' facial features. However, the character of Joseph of Arimathea distinguishes himself through his apparent lack of emotion. This is emphasized by his opposite position to Mary Magdalen who is the most striking subject of the group. Also, his clothing is an anachronism compared to the others: he looks like a typical man from the 15th century whereas the other characters are dressed in 1st century attire. This leads us to suggest that he actually portrays the commissioner of the group, represented as Joseph of Arimathea. This would also explain his lack of emotion, in order to preserve the resemblance and dignity with the contemporary person. Representing a commissioner in biblical scenes or with saints was a common practice throughout the Middle Ages until Neoclassicism.