The Crucifixion 1920 - 1925

Luca di Tommé painted this ‘Crucifixion’ sometime in the 14th century, probably using tempera on a wood panel. I imagine the act of painting it as a slow, meditative, almost devotional process. Look at the figures, so carefully outlined and shaded. I feel for Luca here. Like, what was it like to be him, wrestling with the conventions of the time, yet bringing a personal touch? The symmetry, the stylized drapery, the way the paint sits on the surface—it all speaks to a particular moment in art history, but also to Luca’s individual hand. I keep coming back to Mary’s cloak. That heavy, dark stroke of paint that defines her sorrow. You can almost feel the weight of it, both physically as a layer of paint and emotionally as a symbol of grief. And those halos! They're like floating suggestion of light. It’s like Luca is in conversation with all the painters who came before him, and all those who would follow. He is embracing ambiguity through his art, inviting us to bring our own interpretations.