Sculptor of expressive and dramatic terracotta sculptures of early Renaissance by Niccolo Dell’Arcs. “Niccolo dell.Arca (c1435-94). Eclectic sculptor of south Italian origin, active in Bologna from 1462 as a carver in marble and a modeller in terracotta. His ‘surname’ is derived from the tomb – arca – of St Dominic by Nicola Pisano, Bologna, San Domenica Maggiore, for which Niccolo carved a lid decorated with marble statuettes. His style here, as in his large Madonna di Piazza (1478, Bologna) demonstrates knowledge of both Burgundian and Tuscan sculpture. Niccolo’s masterpiece is universally acknowledged to be his dramatically expressive terracotta group of Lamentation, originally polychrome, anticipating the more placid terracotta groups of Guido Mazzoni. “ The Yale Dictionary of Art & Artists p495.

1. Niccolo Dell’Arca
Lament Over the Dead Christ
First created 27 May 2018. Version 1.0 - 3 Jun 2018. Daperro. London.
Mary Magdalene

2. Chiesa di Santa Maria della Vita
The church of Santa Maria della
Vita is situated on one of streets
leading into the main square of the
city, Bologna. It houses one of the
greatest group of sculptures in
early Italian Renaissance of the 15th
Century.
In the church, there is an Early
Renaissance sculpture masterpiece
called the Lamentation over the
Dead Christ by Niccolo dell’Arca (c
1435/1440 - 1494).

3. The Lament Over the Dead Christ – The Complete Group
An exciting group of terracotta sculpture in the Early Renaissance masterpiece. It was years ahead of its
time, between 10 to 40 years before Michelangelo masterpieces.

4. Group on the Right
This group of sculptures was started some 30 years before Michelangelo’s David but left unfinished till
the 1490s. There were much more movements in his sculptures than the normal static statues of his
times.

5. The Lament Over the Dead Christ – Christ
The artist was Niccolo dell’Arca (c1435-1440 – 1494), who came probably from Apulia in south Italy.
Some say he was from Dalmatia, modern day Croatia. He worked with terracotta and in stone.

6. The Lament Over the Dead Christ – Joseph of Arimathea
Joseph of Arimathea is
normally shown kneeling
down.

7. The Lament Over the Dead Christ – Joseph of Arimathea
Joseph was the owner of the grave. He gave up his grave for the dead Christ.

8. The Lament Over the Dead Christ – Joseph and Mary of Arimathea
Joseph and Mary were shown together here. Joseph
had a huge pincer on his belt which he used to remove
the nails that pinned Jesus to the cross.

9. The Lament Over the Dead Christ – Mary of Joseph
For a long time dramatic religious theatre, as opposed to the polished marbles of humanism, was looked
on as popular art of minor important, simply because it was expressive. Nevertheless it was produced by
cultivated artists, accepted by contemporaries on the level as the great altarpiece.

10. The Lament Over the Dead Christ – Mary of Joseph
Mary of Joseph, with her hands grasping her
legs for support. She had an overall head dress
but plain garment.

11. The sculpture group is characterised by the intense emotions of the figures.
The Lament Over the Dead Christ – Mary of Joseph and Madonna

12. The Lament Over the Dead Christ – Madonna
The originally the figures were covered with pigments as you can still see on the sculpture.

13. The Lament Over the Dead Christ – Madonna
The painful heart breaking pose of
Madonna, with her grasping hands in
pray. Note the head dress was part of the
overall garment. Some art
commentators detected contradictory
influences from Burgundy, Naples,
Ferrara and Florence.

14. The Lament Over the Dead Christ – Madonna
Madonna was portrayed as an older woman, with painful grief of a mother. “Son, why won’t you
answer?” echoes the words of Jacopone da Todi (1233-1306) in ‘Donna de Paradiso’.

15. The Lament Over the Dead Christ – John the Apostle
John the Apostle was depicted in silent grief, trying to fight back the tears, as if he was questioning ‘why?’.

16. The Lament Over the Dead Christ – John the Apostle
John the Apostle was in normal disciple’s robe. It
was said that he was modelled on the donor of
the work.

17. The Lament Over the Dead Christ – Clopas and Magdalene
The extreme emotions of the two young women, between desperation and hysteria, with widely open
mouths.

18. The Lament Over the Dead Christ – Mary Clopas
One important feature of the sculpture was the use of costume to convey movements.

19. He was first mention in 1462 as Maestro of terracotta figures”. He was regarded as stubborn and not
prepared to teach students.
The Lament Over the Dead Christ – Mary Clopas

20. The Lament Over the Dead Christ – Mary Clopas
Mary Clopas rushed toward Christ with
her head dress fluttering in the air. She
was crying. As she approached, she
used her hands to block the view of the
dead Christ, as a gesture of disbelief.
The sculpture is full of movements.

21. John the Apostle, Mary Clopas and Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene was running so fast that her garments were flying in the air, in a state of hysteria.

22. The Lament Over the Dead Christ – Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene horrified in hysteria. The statue clearly demonstrated Niccolo dell’Arca’s skills of a
Maestro Nicolo da Puglia (Master of terracotta figures).

23. The Lament Over the Dead Christ – Mary Magdalene
The flying garments and head scarf, depicted the speed of her approach.

24. The Lament Over the Dead Christ – Mary Magdalene
Highly expressive sculptures rivalled anything produced in Florence of the time. Nicolo Dell’Arca is now
recognised as an important sculptor of Early Renaissance.

25. Kinds of Sadness
It is difficult to find any other examples of artists who had skills to depict such a wide range of intense
emotions, as he had over some 500 years ago.

26. The Lament Over the Dead Christ by Guido Mazzoni.
By comparing, a closely related work by Guido Mazzoni (c1445-1518) in San Giovanni Battista, Modena,
a near by town to Bologna, of the same period. One can see the different approaches taken by the two
artists. It was also made in terracotta.

27. The Lament Over the Dead Christ by Guido Mazzoni.

28. In Bologna there is an important church called San Domenico Basilica. It is the burial place of Saint Dominic, founder of
the Order Dominicans of the Catholic church.
San Domenic Basilica.

29. San Domenic Basilica – Arca di San Domenico.
This is the Arca di San Domenico, the tomb of the saint Dominic. It was made by Nicola Pisano, the well-
known Renaissance artist. Later additions (1469) was made by Niccolo dell’Arca or Niccolo of the Ark
(Chest). This was how he got his name. Even the young Michelangelo worked on a small statue on the
Ark.

30. San Domenic Basilica – Arca di San Domenico.
Details of carvings and statues on the Ark. Niccollo worked on the row of standing statues and the lid on
the Ark.

31. San Domenic Basilica – Arca di San Domenico.
The corner statue at the centre of the photo was the work of Niccolo Dell’Arca. So he can work on stone
as well as terracotta sculptures.

32. San Domenic Basilica – Arca di San Domenico.
This corner statue of an angel holding a candle is the work of the young Michelangelo.

33. Interior of Santa Maria della Vita
Upstairs to see
the Oratory To see the
Lament of the
Dead Christ.

34. Santa Maria della Vita - Oratory

35. Santa Maria della Vita - Oratory

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Available free for non-commercial and personal use.
The
End
Music – Ave Maria from the film Fantasia

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