Crucifix

Abstract

This crucifix, currently housed in the sacristy of Santa Maria Novella in Florence, was previously on the altar of the Trinity in the left aisle of the church. Margrit Lisner attributes it on the basis of style to Maso di Bartolomeo, a sculptor and architect who was a follower of Donatello and Michelozzo, active in the mid-fifteenth century. (This work is likely dated to the 1440s, when Maso was carrying out other work in Florence.) The body, while muscular, is thinner and weaker than most Italian crucfixes of the time, emphasizing Christ's suffering, but the face, following such models as Brunelleschi's crucifix in the same church, is idealized and impassive, the hair neatly parted, an icon Christ's divinity. The painted wood crucifix has been given a loincloth made out of an actual piece of fabric, dipped in gesso, molded to the body, and painted. The halo and aureole behind the cross look to be later additions. Photograph(s) licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.