ANGELICO, Fra
(b. ca. 1400, Vicchio nell Mugello, d. 1455, Roma)

Nailing of Christ to the Cross (Cell 36)

1441-42
Fresco, 169 x 134 cm
Convento di San Marco, Florence

This is the fresco on the wall of Cell 36 of the Convento di San Marco in Florence.

The Crucifixion is depicted in seven cells in the corridor for lay brothers. While the friars and novices may have been moved to prayer at the thought or sight of the crucified Christ, the lay brothers required more direction in imagining the Passion. By incorporating more narrative elements, these images were able to prompt their devotion more efficaciously. In Cell 36, Roman soldiers mount ladders to nail Christ to the cross, below which the grieving Virgin and Magdalene stand as Sanhedrin look on.

The contribution of an assistant can be assumed in the execution of this fresco.