Crucifixion with St. Dominic Flagellating Himself 1442

This fresco of the Crucifixion with St. Dominic Flagellating Himself was painted by Fra Angelico in the 15th century. The composition is striking: the elongated figure of Christ dominates the upper space of the painting with the figure of St Dominic positioned below. Angelico uses a palette of muted, almost translucent colours, primarily whites, browns, and reds, to create an atmosphere of solemn contemplation. The fresco deploys a stark formalism: the cross, rendered as a simple vertical line, divides the pictorial space and draws the eye upwards, while Christ's body forms a series of intersecting diagonals. The presence of Saint Dominic in the lower portion of the image introduces a complex interplay between suffering and penance. Here, the artist seems less interested in the literal depiction of religious narrative and more concerned with creating a visual structure. Ultimately, Angelico prompts us to consider not just the religious symbolism but also the aesthetic and emotional impact of pure form. The fresco becomes a site where theological narratives meet the aesthetic considerations of line, color, and space, inviting us to contemplate the deeper structures of meaning and representation.