Crucifixion thumbnail 1
Crucifixion thumbnail 2
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Image of Gallery in South Kensington
Not currently on display at the V&A
On display at the Faith Museum, Bishop Auckland

Crucifixion

Relief
early 15th century (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Christ, naked except for the loincloth is shown in the centre of the panel on the Cross. The Virgin Mary wearing a close fitting gown and a cloak over her shoulders is kneeling at the foot of the cross and two female figures Mary Magdalene and Mary Cleophas are one the left of the panel, both wearing gowns and cloaks. St John the Evangelist is shown on the right holding his martyrs palm between his knees while Longinus stands on the left of the panel holding the lance in his left hand.

The top of the panel has a embattled canopy, a feature popular in the early 15th century. This feature links it to four other panels in the V&A (A.152-1946, A.154-1946, A.171-1946, A.172-1946) which must originally have formed an altarpiece showing scenes from Christ's Passion.


Object details

Category
Object type
TitleCrucifixion (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Alabaster, gesso, gilt
Brief description
Relief, alabaster, Crucifixion, England, early fifteenth century
Physical description
Relief, alabaster. Battlemented. Christ crucified in the centre. On the left, Longinus and the three Maries. On the right, the centurion with a scroll on which are written the words 'Veri filius dei', a civilian and St. John who holds a palm branch in his right hand and extends his left across the foot of the Cross to touch the hand of the Virgin. Green and flowered back-gorund. Gilt backing with gesso knobs (mostly now missing). Traces of colour.
Dimensions
  • Height: 17.5in (Note: Height (cm) 44,0 Width (cm) 27,0 Depth (cm) 5,7)
  • Width: 10.6in
Object history
Given by Dr W.L Hildburgh (F.S.A.) on loan since 1930. In the Musée Van Stolk before being sold at auction in Amsterdam in 1928. At an earlier period in the old oratory of the church of the Holy Sepulchre, Palma de Mallorca. With numbers A.152-1946, A.154-1946, A.171-1946, A.172-1946, part of the Passion Altarpiece.
Subjects depicted
Summary
Christ, naked except for the loincloth is shown in the centre of the panel on the Cross. The Virgin Mary wearing a close fitting gown and a cloak over her shoulders is kneeling at the foot of the cross and two female figures Mary Magdalene and Mary Cleophas are one the left of the panel, both wearing gowns and cloaks. St John the Evangelist is shown on the right holding his martyrs palm between his knees while Longinus stands on the left of the panel holding the lance in his left hand.

The top of the panel has a embattled canopy, a feature popular in the early 15th century. This feature links it to four other panels in the V&A (A.152-1946, A.154-1946, A.171-1946, A.172-1946) which must originally have formed an altarpiece showing scenes from Christ's Passion.
Associated objects
Bibliographic references
  • Hildburgh, Archaeolog. Journal LXXXVII, I, 1931, p. 228
  • Nelson, Archaeolog. Journal, LXXXIV, 1927, p. 114
  • Cheetham, Francis. English Medieval Alabasters. Oxford: Phaidon-Christie's Limited, 1984.
  • Exhibition of English Mediaeval Art, 1930., London : V&A, Published by authority of the Board of Education, 1930 351
Collection
Accession number
A.172-1946

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Record createdJanuary 13, 2006
Record URL
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