“The Veiled Christ” is famed among art historians, and with good reason. Crafted in 1752 by the artist Giuseppe Sanmartino, the sculpture seems to defy the medium it was made of, with the fabric of the shroud covering Christ’s body appearing translucent and thin — you can see nail holes in his hands, the contours of his ribs, bulging veins.
Located today in the Sansevero Chapel in Naples, the Veiled Christ showcases the artist Sanmartino’s virtuouso technical skills. In fact, to me the shroud’s fabric gives the impression of suffocating the body, but it is certainly hyper-naturalistic. Audiences to the shrine have commentated on the cloth’s realism, perfected to such an extent that a legend arose that the statue was created using alchemy.
It was made neither by sorcery nor miracle. However, Prince Raimondo di Sangro– the commissioner of the Veiled Christ — was a practicing alchemist. The Catholic Church frowned upon these activities and the pope threatened to excommunicate Raimondo’s family if they refused to destroy his scientific writings upon his death. And so they did.
Source(s): _Daily Art Magazine_, “The Veiled Christ: Art or Alchemy?” By Rachel Us than, Jan 17, 2018.
