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Crucifix

A work made of tempera on panel.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of tempera on panel.

Date:

1230/40

Artist:

Master of the Bigallo Crucifix
Italian, active about 1225-65

About this artwork

In late-medieval Italian churches, a monumental crucifix was often attached to the top of a major altarpiece or placed above the rood screen that separated the public nave from the church sanctuary. In either location, it was a focal point of public worship. The painter of this outstanding example was a leading Florentine artist of the middle of the 13th century, named after another painted crucifix in the Museo del Bigallo, Florence. Although his style retains the traditional linear patterning associated with Byzantine models, he employed a new, more natural system of lighting. Also traditional are the smaller figures amplifying the Passion narrative—the Virgin and John the Evangelist flanking the cross, Christ as redeemer above it, and the crowing rooster at its foot referring to Saint Peter’s denial of Christ.

Status

On View, Gallery 236

Department

Painting and Sculpture of Europe

Artist

Master of the Bigallo Crucifix

Title

Crucifix

Place

Italy (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1255–1265

Medium

Tempera on panel

Inscriptions

__ __ Inscribed: IC..XC. (above head of Christ in white pigment)

Dimensions

191 × 127.2 cm (75 1/4 × 50 1/8 in.)

Credit Line

A. A. Munger Collection

Reference Number

1936.120

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/22527/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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