Oil Sketch for Crown of Thorns

Often labeled a “visionary” artist, Elihu Vedder is best known for his allegorical and symbolic works and for his fresh and sparkling images of the Italian landscape. Vedder was interested in spiritualism and especially the notion that the ideal world lies beyond the world of appearance, and adhered to the belief that the true meaning of life is something other than what is discernable. This approach, which is at the heart of the sketch for the Crown of Thorns, is the core concept of Symbolism. This small oil sketch was likely a design for a three-piece altarpiece, or triptych.