The Infant Christ asleep on the Cross

This painting is a copy of a work by Guido Reni, a leading 17th-century artist from Bologna, Italy. The image shows a young Christ sleeping on a cross. He is surrounded by symbols of his adult crucifixion, including the cross and the crown of thorns lying nearby. The image was copied in many painted and printed versions. Small, intimate works like this were popular for private devotion. Emotive images like this were used by the Catholic Church to influence viewers. The image of a vulnerable child with symbols of his death could help promote devotion to God. Emotive images like this were used by the Catholic Church to influence viewers. The image of a vulnerable child with symbols of his death could help promote devotion to God. This is one of the artworks presented by the Liverpool Royal Institution. Liverpool’s economic development grew directly from Britain’s involvement with transatlantic slavery: the kidnapping, enslavement and forced migration of people from West Africa to the Americas and many to the Caribbean. Many members of the Royal Institution made their fortunes directly through the trade or indirectly through the wider economy. This wealth was largely how they were able to bring rare art and treasures, such as this, to the city