Crucifix

Abstract

This painted wood crucifix (in Santi Paolino e Donato in Lucca) was made in the early trecento by a German artist. Crucifixes by Northern artists are quite common in Italy at this time, and so it seems likely that German woodcarvers were traveled through this region. (It seems less likely that large-scale crucifixes would be sent from afar, over the mountains.) The cross seems to be original. The body (except for the arms and head) is carved out of one trunk of wood and hollowed at the back, a standard procedure that makes the sculpture much less likely to warp. The emphasis on the overwhelming suffering of Christ is typical of period crucifixes -- conveyed here through the emaciated body, hanging low from stick-thin arms, ribs and other bones protruding, and a cascade of blood from the wound in the side (carved out of wood and originally painted red). The frame, golden rays, and red backdrop were added in a later century. Photograph(s) licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.