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Mary Linwood, 'Salvator Mundi', 1798

 


In her embroidery from the late eighteenth century, Mary Linwood depicts Christ holding a chalice before him, and a piece of bread delicately in his hand, presumably seated at the Last Supper. Blessing with the other hand, he looks up towards the heavens with heavy, knowing eyes, perhaps in one final act of guidance and comfort. Although Linwood copies the oil painting of Carlo Dolci, in terms of media and materials, alongside specificities of subject matter, this becomes a unique rendering of a Salvator Mundi - whilst there is a particular combination of craft and religiosity, the attention to technique through textile remains unrivalled in this genre of Christian imagery. 

The work is named Salvator Mundi, but it is unconventional in terms of its presentation of Christ: usually, paintings with this title depict the Redeemer blessing and holding an orb or globe, in reference to Medieval royal regalia, which of course, is still used in coronation ceremonies today. In the hand of Christ, the orb combines the power of the monarch (earthly) with the divine power of now being connected to God (heavenly), and perhaps this iconography reached its fullest potential in fifteenth century Netherlandish art, including by Hans Memling. However, Dolci, and Linwood copying his painting, chose to put elements of the Last Supper into the foreground of the work - the chalice is particularly interesting, and seems to reference early Renaissance types found in, for instance, the workshops of Sienese goldsmiths such as Guccio di Mannaio, perhaps suggesting that Dolci had access to such objects when constructing his painting.

Meanwhile, the bread, plate and napkin add elements of realism to the piece, especially in the white napkin which is neatly collected by Christ's right arm, its folds delicately contrasting the heavier draperies which the protagonist of the work wears. Christ is also depicted in the more usual Salvator Mundi dress of red and blue draperies, which again represents his occupation of earthly and divine realms. The revealing of the red underneath in a V-shape gently complements the pointed chin of Christ and his elongated facial features, almost Byzantine in construction. It is Linwood's foreground additions, however, which truly allow her to flex the creative potential of craft, presenting the napkin, chalice and bread with striking realism, each individual, colourful thread contributing to the overall whole. The softness of colour choices and use of gold and yellow thread which are most noticeable in the stem of the chalice, complements the hair of Christ alongside his glowing, golden halo. Despite being a copy of Dolci's Salvator Mundi, Linwood has made a definite move away from the original, and that is primarily achieved through technique, craft and the use of intriguing materials. 



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