The J. Paul Getty Museum has acquired 'Christ Carrying the Cross' by Spanish Renaissance artist Luis de Morales, a piece known for its emotional depth and artistic mastery. Set to go on display on May 1, it depicts a sorrowful Christ, highlighting the spiritual themes that marked Morales's work. The painting underwent complex conservation to restore its original imagery and remove damaging alterations, including a problematic enlargement from previous centuries. As noted by Timothy Potts, its presentation serves as a significant example of the role of devotional art in aiding personal reflection and prayer.
"Luis de Morales's devotional paintings were perfect vehicles for meditation due to their morbid sensibility and exquisite artistry," Timothy Potts, the Getty Museum's director, said.
When it arrived at the Getty, the painting suffered from varnish clouding its imagery and colours, alterations to some of the composition's details and, most challengingly, an 18th or 19th century enlargement.
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