Crucifixion with St Francis and a Donor Italian School

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This tempera on panel painting, titled Crucifixion with St. Francis of Assisi and a Donor, is an evocative work of the Italian School, currently held in the Galleria dell'Accademia in Florence. The composition is deeply rooted in Franciscan spirituality, emphasizing a personal, meditative connection to the suffering of Christ. In this solemn scene, the central focus is the crucified Jesus, flanked by mourning angels who capture his blood, a common motif representing the sacrifice of the Eucharist. 

The figures at the base of the cross represent different layers of devotion. On the left stands Saint Francis of Assisi, identifiable by his simple brown friar's habit and the stigmata (the wounds of Christ) clearly visible on his hands. He looks outward, inviting the viewer into a state of contemplation. On the right, the large, cloaked figure is the Virgin Mary, depicted in deep mourning. Continue reading after advertisement

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The smaller, kneeling figure at the very center, directly beneath the feet of Christ, is the donor—the individual who commissioned the painting as a private devotional piece. Unlike the previous work you mentioned, this figure is not Saint Francis receiving the stigmata, but a patron shown in perpetual prayer at the foot of the Cross, a common practice for demonstrating piety. At the base of the cross, a skull is visible, representing Adam and serving as a memento mori, a reminder of mortality and the redemption of original sin through Christ's sacrifice. 

This painting, attributed to an anonymous artist of the Italian School, is estimated to have been created in the late 13th century or early 14th century. Its style is characteristic of the Italo-Byzantine period, a transitional era in Italian art before the full emergence of the Renaissance. This is evident in the stylized, elongated figure of Christ and the use of a shimmering gold ground, which was intended to represent a divine, eternal space rather than a realistic earthly landscape. The iconography of the mourning angels and the inclusion of Saint Francis (who was canonized in 1228) suggests the work was produced during the height of Franciscan influence in Italy

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This image is a public domain image, which means either that copyright has expired in the image or the copyright holder has waived their copyright. Franciscan Gallery charges for the access to high resolution copy of the image. Manually restoration was necessary in order to improve quality, without covering the original image.