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

Crucifixion with the Virgin, John the Evangelist, and Mary Magdelene

1419-20
Tempera and gold on panel, 64 x 38 cm
Private collection

The slender anatomy of Christ, the taut contours shadowed against the gold ground and the windblown loincloth are related closely to the Crucifixions by Lorenzo Monaco and his workshop, as is the foreshortening of his head, lowered in death. While derived from Lorenzo's portrayals, Angelico's interpretation is stylistically different, best expressed in the figures of the mourners below the Cross. The artist created the illusion of depth by varying the angles at which they are portrayed and through perspective.




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