MICHELANGELO Buonarroti
(b. 1475, Caprese, d. 1564, Roma)

Resurrection of Christ

c. 1530
Red chalk, 152 x 171 mm
Musée du Louvre, Paris

This representation is a rarity in Italian art in that it depicts the exact moment that Christ rises from the tomb. Although it is only a drawing, the arresting contrast between the soldiers, either cowering on the tomb or fleeing in horror, and Christ at the moment of his resurrection is still unmistakable. Without leaving the realms of the natural, the upwards movement towards the light symbolizes the Resurrection of the Redeemer.