The Crucifix by Cimabue at Arezzo is a large wooden

crucifix A crucifix (from the Latin meaning '(one) fixed to a cross') is a cross with an image of Jesus on it, as distinct from a bare cross. The representation of Jesus himself on the cross is referred to in English as the (Latin for 'body'). The cru ...

painted in

distemper Distemper may refer to: Illness *A viral infection **Canine distemper, a disease of dogs ** Feline distemper, a disease of cats ** Phocine distemper, a disease of seals *A bacterial infection **Equine distemper, or Strangles, a bacterial infecti ...

, with

gold leaf upA gold nugget of 5 mm (0.2 in) in diameter (bottom) can be expanded through hammering into a gold foil of about 0.5 m2 (5.4 sq ft). The Japan.html" ;"title="Toi gold mine museum, Japan">Toi gold mine museum, Japan. Gold leaf is gold that has ...

, by the Florentine painter and

mosaic A mosaic () is a pattern or image made of small regular or irregular pieces of colored stone, glass or ceramic, held in place by plaster/Mortar (masonry), mortar, and covering a surface. Mosaics are often used as floor and wall decoration, and ...

ist

Cimabue Giovanni Cimabue ( , ; – 1302), Translated with an introduction and notes by J.C. and P Bondanella. Oxford: Oxford University Press (Oxford World's Classics), 1991, pp. 7–14. . also known as Cenni di Pepo or Cenni di Pepi, was an Italian p ...

, dated to c. 1267–71. It is the earliest of two large crucifixes attributed to him. It shows a painted representation of the near dead body of Christ on the cross, with

Mary, mother of Jesus Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...

and

John the Evangelist John the Evangelist ( – ) is the name traditionally given to the author of the Gospel of John. Christians have traditionally identified him with John the Apostle, John of Patmos, and John the Presbyter, although there is no consensus on how ...

at either end of the cross beams. Its importance lies, in part, in the stylistic innovations and departure from some of the prevailing Byzantine conventions of the time, towards greater expressionism (especially in its portrayal of the agonies of death by crucifixion), empathy and humanism. In this, the work seeks to appeal to the viewer's heart rather than mind, and perhaps attempt to break the barrier between viewer and deity.Chiellini, 10 The dating is based on stylistic advancements. The crucifix has been in situ at

Arezzo Arezzo ( , ; ) is a city and ''comune'' in Italy and the capital of the Province of Arezzo, province of the same name located in Tuscany. Arezzo is about southeast of Florence at an elevation of Above mean sea level, above sea level. As of 2 ...

since its completion. Art historians have established it as probably one of Cimabue's earliest works.

Commission and attribution

The Crucifix was commissioned by members of the

Dominican Order The Order of Preachers (, abbreviated OP), commonly known as the Dominican Order, is a Catholic Church, Catholic mendicant order of pontifical right that was founded in France by a Castilians, Castilian priest named Saint Dominic, Dominic de Gu ...

for the Basilica of San Domenico,

, Tuscany, where it has hung since its completion, above the high

altar An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religion, religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, Church (building), churches, and other places of worship. They are use ...

; occupying, in the words of art historian Monica Chiellini, the "position of absolute prestige...and the most decorative element n a medieval church.Chiellini, 8Kleinhenz, 224 Art historian Christopher Kleinhenz believes the move away from the Byzantine style was motivated by a desire to emphasise the "immediate, accessible, and human aspects of the deity", in line with the doctrines of

piety Piety is a virtue which may include religious devotion or spirituality. A common element in most conceptions of piety is a duty of respect. In a religious context, piety may be expressed through pious activities or devotions, which may vary amon ...

emerging from both the Dominican and

Franciscan The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent Religious institute, religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor bei ...

orders.

Description

The panels are brightly painted and gilded, to fit the style of a 13th-century church, where it would have been among similarly coloured

fresco Fresco ( or frescoes) is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plaster, the painting become ...

capital Capital and its variations may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** Capital region, a metropolitan region containing the capital ** List of national capitals * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Econom ...

icon An icon () is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, in the cultures of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Catholic Church, Catholic, and Lutheranism, Lutheran churches. The most common subjects include Jesus, Mary, mother of ...

paintings and stained glass windows. The arms of the cross are embellished with painted coloured hanging cloths.Chiellini, 11 The work has undergone two restorations, in 1917 and 2005, but is generally good condition considering its fragility and age.

Christ

The crucifix was painted in the '' Christus patiens'' ("Suffering Christ") style that emerged from the mid-13th century. It displays the dying

Christ Jesus ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Christianity, central figure of Christianity, the M ...

the cross The Christian cross, seen as representing the crucifixion of Jesus, is a religious symbol, symbol of Christianity. It is related to the crucifix, a cross that includes a ''corpus'' (a representation of Jesus' body, usually three-dimensional) a ...

, his eyes closed, his head resting on his shoulder, as his body buckles to the left. The sway of his rigid body indicates contortions brought about by pain. He wears a red gilded loincloth to cover his modesty. The predominance of green hues emphasised the examination of near death and decay. Cimabue 028

It is closely modeled on the crucifix by

Giunta Pisano Giunta Pisano (also named Giunta da Pisa or Giunta Capitini) was an Italian painter. He is the earliest Italian painter whose name is found inscribed on an extant work. He is best known for his crucifixes. Works He is said to have exercised hi ...

, now in the Basilica of San Domenico,

Bologna Bologna ( , , ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. It is the List of cities in Italy, seventh most populous city in Italy, with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nationalities. Its M ...

. This is most especially seen in the contortions and body type of Christ, the drapery, the architecture of the cross beams, the patterned borders and the figures of Mary and John the Evangelist at either end of the vertical cross beams. However, Cimabue goes further, especially in its portrayal of Christ's agony invoked by the contortions of his body. This is evident in that his body leans far more towards the viewer's left, and that his loincloth obscures a greater part of the patterned border alongside the crossbeam. The plaque on the vertical bar above Christ's head bears the

INRI In the New Testament, Jesus is referred to as the King of the Jews, both at the beginning of his life and at the end. In the Koine Hellenic of the New Testament, e.g., in John 19:3, this is written as ''Basileus ton Ioudaion'' (). Both uses o ...

inscription ''Hic est Iesus Nazarenus, Rex Iudeorum'' ("Here is Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Jews"). Above this again is a small panel showing Christ with his hand raised in blessing.

Mary and John

The

mourning Mourning is the emotional expression in response to a major life event causing grief, especially loss. It typically occurs as a result of someone's death, especially a loved one. The word is used to describe a complex of behaviors in which t ...

figures of Mary and John the Evangelist are shown at half length at either end of the vertical cross beams. Both rest their heads on their hands, while Mary is shown weeping. The saints are painted with bright coloured hues, with gold highlights along the lines of their clothes (this gilding is absent in the more austere Santa Croce panels).

Fisher House reconstruction

In 2005, a reconstruction of the crucifix was commissioned from the

Hamilton Kerr Institute The Hamilton Kerr Institute is a branch of the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridgeshire, England, dedicated to the study and conservation of easel paintings. It is also part of the University of Cambridge. Facilities and logistics The institute w ...

for Fisher House, the

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

Chaplaincy A chaplain is, traditionally, a cleric (such as a minister, priest, pastor, rabbi, purohit, or imam), or a lay representative of a religious tradition, attached to a secular institution (such as a hospital, prison, military unit, intelligen ...

to the

University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...

. This 2-metre artwork was constructed according to contemporary medieval Italian methods, in particular those documented in

Cennino Cennini Cennino d'Andrea Cennini (; – before 1427) was an Italian painter influenced by Giotto. He was a student of Agnolo Gaddi in Florence. Gaddi trained under his father, called Taddeo Gaddi, who trained with Giotto. He is remembered mainly f ...

’s work ''Libro dell’Arte''. The crucifix was completed in March 2008, installed at Fisher House and consecrated by Cardinal

Cormac Murphy-O'Connor Cormac Murphy-O'Connor (24 August 1932 – 1 September 2017) was a British Catholic prelate who served as Archbishop of Westminster from 2000 to 2009. He was also president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales. He was made ...

References

Sources

* Chiellini, Monica. ''Cimabue''. London: Scala Books, 1988. * Kleinhenz, Christopher. ''Medieval Italy: An Encyclopedia''. Routledge, 2003. * Osborne, Harold. ''The Oxford Companion to Art''. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1970. {{DEFAULTSORT:Crucifix (Cimabue, Arezzo) 1260s paintings 1270s paintings

Paintings by Cimabue Rood crosses Paintings of John the Apostle Paintings of the Virgin Mary