Naples, Botticelli's masterpiece on display at Palazzo Zevallos

From June 22nd to September 29th, Sandro Botticelli's "Lamentation over the Dead Christ," on loan from the Poldi Pezzoli Museum in Milan, will be on display at Palazzo Zevallos Stigliano, the museum headquarters of Intesa Sanpaolo in Naples. The exhibition of the masterpiece by the Italian Renaissance master is the hallmark of the ninth edition of the "L'Ospite illustre" exhibition, which features a major work on temporary loan from prestigious Italian and international museums at the Piedmontese bank's exhibition venues—the Gallerie d'Italia and the 36th floor of the Turin skyscraper. Botticelli's canvas depicts, with extraordinary emotional poignancy, the moment when Jesus, after being taken down from the cross on Golgotha, is about to be laid in the tomb. Christ's body lies in the foreground, in the lap of his Mother, who, overcome with grief, has fainted and is supported by Saint John the Evangelist. Three pious women are depicted, including Mary Magdalene, wrapped in a red cloth and with her eyes closed, embracing the Savior's bent feet. The second woman, standing, holds Jesus' head in her hands, while the third, standing on the left, weeps, her face hidden by her cloak. The work, dating to the early 16th century, is among the finest examples of Botticelli's mature work. The painting was purchased on March 12, 1879, by Gian Giacomo Poldi Pezzoli, the noble collector who founded the Milanese house-museum.