The most impressive characteristic of this group of carvings is its realism, as though the somewhat wasted arms and torso of Christ, in contrast to the sturdiness of his thighs and abdomen, show a continuing connection to Gothic canons. The Bishop-Count D. Jorge de Almeida commissioned Oliver de Gand, a Flemish artist whose work was to become a model for a new direction in plastic art, to execute this piece for the Episcopal Palace. His work was reflected in local production, the main sculptural centre of the time, and also had a decisive influence on all local sculptors who worked with him, especially Diogo Pires-o-Moço. From then on, Coimbra sculpture was unmistakable for the increasing monumentality that was to characterize the work of the Renaissance period.