Jesus' Crucifixion In Art

The symbol of Christ on the cross has infiltrated culture in innumerable ways, and depictions have become ubiquitous. There is no other subject matter that better reflects the historical progression of artistic expression. This is fitting, as there is no other event that has had comparable effect on all aspects of human history.

"Crucifix Padua"
Artist: Donatello
1445 - 49
Sculpture

This work was a bronze Crucifix intended for the altar in the centre of the choir of the Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua. A surviving contemporary document tells us that it was being finished and polished in 1445, though it was not completed until 1449, when it was placed in the middle of the church.

"Crucifixion"
Artist: Antonello da Messina
1454-55
Painting

The Crucifixion is the subject of three different paintings by the Italian Renaissance master Antonello da Messina; this first one was completed around 1454/1455, the second and the third in 1475.

They are housed in the Brukenthal National Museum (Sibiu, Romania); the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (Antwerp, Belgium) and in the National Gallery (London, England), respectively.

This first painting is oil on wood and measures 39 cm × 23.5 cm (15 in × 9.3 in)

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