Crucifixion with the Virgin and St. John the Evangelist 1400 - 1500

This drawing of the Crucifixion with the Virgin and St. John the Evangelist was created by an anonymous artist, and its date is unknown. In this image, the cultural and religious significance of the crucifixion is apparent in its visual codes. The composition is dominated by the figure of Christ on the cross, flanked by Mary and John, and the image creates meaning through its associations with Christian doctrine and the gospels. Without a known date or origin, it is hard to know how this drawing may have been influenced by the social and political contexts of its time. But its apparent use as a study, which is suggested by the pen trials and the underdrawing, allows us to speculate that its anonymous creator had ties to a scriptorium or a monastic school. This would certainly have an effect on how we assess the cultural relevance of the image. As historians, we use a range of resources, such as archival records, to better understand the institutional setting in which art is made and the cultural contexts that give it meaning.