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.