PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Madrid; Nicholas M. Acquavella Galleries; BJU, 1962.

After the death of Hans Memling in 1494, Gerard David became the leading painter in the city of Bruges. Extremely popular among local patrons, his works played an important role in the city's growing export trade in paintings. Numerous followers copied David's compositions, and his style remained popular well into the mid-16th-century. His students included Ambrosius Benson and Adrian Isenbrandt, both represented in the Museum & Gallery collection.

In The Risen Christ a triumphant Savior affirms His victory over death and sin by displaying the wounds He bore for the redemption of mankind. David's vision of Christ contrasts sharply with the meditative focus on Christ's physical suffering shown in Albrecht Bout's Man of Sorrows. Instead, here a majestic, glorious, and powerful Christ confronts the viewer with a penetrating stare. The subtle details found in the golden rays emanating from His head and the beautifully jeweled clasp indicate His position as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.