Dame Elisabeth Frink

Crucifix for a Lutheran Church

c.1983

Not on display

Artist: Dame Elisabeth Frink 1930–1993
Medium: Plaster and steel
Dimensions: Object: 740 x 725 x 170 mm
Collection: Tate
Acquisition: Presented by Lin Jammet, the artist's son 1998
Reference: T07420

Display caption

This plaster sculpture was made for a commission by St Mary's Lutheran Church in London, where the final bronze version can be found. Of the generation of post-war sculptors, Frink was most consistently in demand for such commissions. Religious subjects allowed her to investigate the theme of masculinity and the male body in various manifestations. Here Christ is seen as a thin, even gaunt, figure and Frink's typically raw treatment of the surface accentuates the sense of a body ravaged by pain. Nevertheless the figure also retains an aura of nobility. The visionary simplicity of the sculpture reflects Lutheran beliefs, inspiring contemplation without the distraction of excessive adornment.

Gallery label, August 2004

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