225 Blog 1

I have chosen to write this journal entry about Daniele da Volterra's Descent from the Cross. This fresco was painted in 1545 and is displayed in one of the side chapels of the Trinita dei Monti, the church at the top of the Spanish Steps.
Volterra earns most of his fame in history by being a pupil of Michelangelo. Volterra even earned the nickname the “Master of Underpants” when he was commissioned to paint clothing on the nude images in the Sistine Chapel. Michelangelo’s influence on Volterra is very apparent in the Descent of the Cross. Volterra painted this work in the Mannerist style. This style is often noted for its intellectual sophistication as well as its artificial qualities.
These artificial qualities are very noticeable in the Descent of the Cross. The blues, yellows, and dusty pinks used give the image an unreal look. Also, the lowering of the body does not seem to produce tension in the muscles of the subjects who are holding the body. Instead, their clothing moves in a wind that has no one direction. Viewers of this work see an image that surpasses any reality, making it divine.