Mathis Grünewald
Small Crucifixion

Circa 1511/20
National Gallery of Art
Oil on panel, .613 x .460 m. (24 1/8 x 18 1/8 in.)
Samuel H. Kress Collection  1961.9.19

"Silhouetted against a greenish-blue sky and illuminated by an undefined light source, Christ's haggard and emaciated frame sags limply on the cross. The details -- the twisted and gnarled feet and hands, the crown of thorns, the agonized look upon Jesus' face, and the ragged loincloth -- bear strident witness to physical suffering and emotional torment. This abject mood is intensified by the anguished expressions and demonstrative gestures of John the Evangelist, the Virgin Mary, and the kneeling Mary Magdalene."

-- Web Gallery of Art
More of the Crucifixion

Photo: National Gallery of Art