Crucifix

Abstract

This painted wooden crucifix has been attributed to Angelo di Nalduccio on the basis of style and dated to the second half of the fourteenth century. The somewhat crude polychromy is not original -- it was redone probably in the sixteenth century. The starved-looking, almost brittle body of Christ emphasizes his suffering. The arms are attached to the shoulders using movable joints, so that the sculpted body could be removed from the cross on Good Friday, the day of Christ's crucifixion, mourned, and "entombed." Originally in Santa Caterina d'Alessandria in Montalcino, it can be found today in the Museo Civico e Diocesano d'Arte Sacra, Montalcino. Photograph(s) licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International.