Resurrection and Baptism of Christ – Alte Pinakothek – Munich
The two tables depict respectively the Resurrection and the Baptism of Christ; given the symmetrical construction of the compositions and the small size, they were probably part of the predella of the same altarpiece.
The representation of Baptism recalls a typical construction of the same scene in the work of Perugino: the proximity to the Baptism of Christ preserved at the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna suggests that the panels date back to the same years, around 1500.
In both tables, the figure of Christ stand in the center: in the right panel, he joins his hands to his chest and bows his head as he receives the sacrament of Baptism by his cousin, John the Baptist; the river flows under their feet and gently wets their ankles, while on the sides, on the banks, four angels attend the scene in prayer.
In the tablet on the left, Jesus is standing above the open tomb, whose structure in white marble and red porphyry repeats classic architecture; it’s the moment of the Resurrection, and only one of the soldiers shows signs of wonder in seeing him resurrected, while the others are still sleeping.
Both scenes are set outdoors: in the background a hilly landscape is meticulously described, with tree species and some lake, where the human trace can be seen only thanks to the presence of small villages and castles in the distance.
The panels are preserved at the Alte Pinakothek, in Munich.
