Arthur Boyd
The Deposition
At various times throughout his career the painter, potter and
printmaker, Arthur Boyd devoted himself almost exclusively to
working in clay. A pacifist, Boyd found world affairs of the
late 1940's and early 1950's very difficult to accept. This
sculpture reflects something of the turmoil felt by the artist at a
time when the threat of yet another global conflict seemed
imminent.
One of a series of four sculptures by Boyd which relate to the
passion of Christ, Deposition relates to the taking down of
Christ's body from the cross and its entombment. Here Boyd has
portrayed the dead Christ cradled in the arms of a woman with long
red hair who is presumably Mary Magdalen. Two other heads near
the base with their arms reaching up towards the body represent the
other women who were present at the Crucifixion. Although
religion was not a dominant factor in his upbringing, here Boyd has
created a work that not only has enormous power as a religious
subject but which also expresses extreme grief and anguish.