"The Crucifixion"

The work is grandiose and richly decorated. Details such as Christ's red loincloth, accentuated by highlights of gold, create the appearance of a soft and supple fabric that gently falls over the tortured body. Two mourning figures, the Virgin Mary and St John the Evangelist, are presented as half-figures on the horizontal axis of the cross. On the top of the crucifix there is a small panel of the Blessing Christ, painted in accordance with the conventions of Byzantine art. 

Although Cimabue preserves the schematic appearance of the muscles, arms and abdomen, he further develops the corporeal qualities of Christ's flesh. His strategic use of shade on the legs, torso, arms, and underarms add to the plasticity of the body. Cimabue's crucifix signified thus a departure from the stoical figures of Christ on the cross and anticipates the more expressive and naturalistic representations associated with the Renaissance period.