Crucifixion c. 1180

sculpture

muted colour palette

structure

stone

sculpture

sculptural image

historic architecture

male figure

unrealistic statue

sculpture

muted colour

statue

This limestone relief, carved by an unknown artist around 1180, depicts the Crucifixion of Christ. The central figure of Christ is shown in a realistic, yet stylized manner, with elongated limbs and a sorrowful expression. The figures of the Virgin Mary and St. John, flanking Christ, are also rendered in a detailed, expressive style. This piece, housed at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, offers a powerful example of Romanesque sculpture, capturing the emotional intensity and devotional focus of religious art of the period.

Comments

minneapolisinstituteofart about 1 year ago

⋮

Jesus is seen dead on the cross while his mother, Mary, and his favorite disciple, the Evangelist Saint John, mourn below. This large-scale work embodies the characteristics of Romanesque sculpture in the medieval period, with its heavy stylized bodies, calligraphic depiction of hair, and linear, energetic approach to rendering the folds of the fabric. A new interest in monumental stone sculptures, particularly those with an architectural purpose, arose in the 1100's in Europe. This relief would likely have been used as the centerpiece of a tympanum—an arched area above a church entrance that was covered with sculpted decoration. It is not known where the relief comes from, but it bears a resemblance to the sculpture of northern Spain, particularly to works in churches on the still-active pilgrimage route leading to Santiago de Compostela.