The Crucifixion
Attributed toFormerly attributed to
Bartolommeo Bulgarini
(Italian (Sienese), active by 1337, d. 1378)
Datecirca 1350
MediumTempera and gilding and punched decoration on wood panel
DimensionsSight (max.): 19 3/4 x 8 11/16 in. (50.2 x 22.1 cm)
Framed: 25 1/4 × 12 7/8 in. (64.1 × 32.7 cm)
Framed: 25 1/4 × 12 7/8 in. (64.1 × 32.7 cm)
Credit LineGift of the Samuel H. Kress Foundation
Object number1973.40
Status
Not on viewThis painting was originally the right panel of a folding diptych (double panel). Its modest size and expensive materials suggest that it probably served as an altarpiece in a private chapel. The very human responses of the figures at the foot of the cross make this an appropriate image for individual meditation on the meaning of the Mass: their tears direct the worshipper to sympathize with Christ’s suffering, and to recognize the enormity of his sacrifice.
Smart Publications:
Transforming Images
The David and Alfred Smart Museum of Art
Bernardino Fungai
1460 - 1516
