Christ Crucified, with the Virgin, the Magdalen, and Saint John

Artistattributed to Spinello Aretino (Italian, 1350 or 1352–1410)

Datelate 14th–early 15th century

Mediumtempera on panel

Dimensionspanel: 70.5 x 37.9 cm (27 3/4 x 14 15/16 in.)

ClassificationsPaintings

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Terms

Object number1920.1

Label TextSpinello Aretino was a native of Arezzo and worked there as well as in Florence, Pisa, and Siena. His painting style remained within the tradition of Giotto in that he used firmly sculptural figures in a fairly rational space and avoided the more elegant, decorative trends which were being felt at his time. This picture has been ascribed to Spinello by various art historians, although it is not strictly characteristic of his work. The painting is actually a fragment, set into a larger panel, and it is difficult to establish the amount of loss it has suffered through the years. An unusual feature of the scene is the pelican in the foliage above the cross, which sprinkles its young with its blood. This is a symbol of Redemption through Christ's sacrifice, and it became a fairly common emblem in the fourteenth century.ProvenanceEugene Bottenweiser, London England

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