Old Man with a Spear
unknown (German School)
Basic information
- ID
- Ж-134
- Author
- unknown (German School)
- Name
- Old Man with a Spear
- Date of creation
- 18th c.
- Technique
- oil painting
- Material
- canvas oil
- Dimensions (height x width, cm)
- 78.2 x 61.3
Additionally
- Type
- painting
- Genre
- portraiture
- Provenance
- the Lubomirski collection
- Exposition
- Potocki Palace
Information about author
Object description
In the painting, against a dark background, there is a bust-length depiction of an elderly man with wavy grey hair, a wide grey beard, and a moustache. He is facing the viewer, slightly turning his head to the right. His face is covered in wrinkles. The man firmly holds a spear in his left hand, using his index finger to support the handle. The elder is dressed in brown draped clothing, symbolising penance. The painting was received from the Lubomirski collection under the title "An Old Man with a Spear". It can be assumed that the canvas depicts the centurion Longinus. His most famous representation is the statue in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, created by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. According to a Christian narrative, Centurion Longinus, a Roman soldier, pierced the side of the crucified Jesus Christ with a spear. The centurion's actual name is unknown, and the nickname "Longinus" comes from a Latinised Greek word meaning "spear". The centurion suffered from cataracts. During the crucifixion of Christ, blood splashed into his eyes, and he was healed. From that moment on, he became a Christian convert himself. Longinus set out to preach in his homeland, Cappadocia, where he eventually faced death as a Christian by order of Pilate.
Legal regulation
Borys Voznytskyi Lviv National Art Gallery
