Bastianino: The Living Cross of Ferrara

This large-format altarpiece with its unusual depiction of the “living cross of Ferrara” – an allegory from the Old and New Testament – was given to the Gemäldegalerie by the Humboldt Universität Berlin as a permanent loan and restored with the support of the Ernst von Siemens Kunststiftung in 2018/19. Upon completion of the restoration work, the painting will be presented to the public in a focussed exhibition.

Though the altar painting – which originates from the Santa Catarina Martire monastery and church in Ferrara – is based on two works by Garofalo, the lively painting style of the late Mannerist Sebastiano Filippi (also known as Bastianino, ca. 1532–1602) is unmistakable. The “living cross”, produced ca. 1560–70, is possibly the only work by Filippi held by a public collection in Germany.

A special exhibition of the Gemäldegalerie – Staatliche Museen zu Berlin in cooperation with the Humboldt Universität zu Berlin