Artwork
Crucifixion of Christ with saints
Crucifixion of Christ with saints is an unspecified painting by the Early Renaissance artist Pietro Perugino. It dates from 1492 and is held in the collection of the Uffizi Gallery. This painting depicts the Crucifixion of Christ surrounded by saints.
About this work
This painting shows Christ nailed to the cross with saints around him.
This painting shows Christ nailed to the cross with saints around him. It’s by Pietro Perugino, made around 1484. The work’s date and who actually painted it are still debated.
Some experts say Perugino did it alone. Others think his pupil or even Luca Signorelli helped. The lighting and shadows feel strong, like Signorelli’s style. The distant hills fade into soft blue, a Perugino trademark.
Want a closer look? Check out the Uffizi Gallery.
Technique & Style
The work is executed in oil on panel, measuring 203 by 180 cm. Stylistically, the composition features a central crucifixion set against an azure sky, framed by receding rock formations and a deep landscape of hills and sparse trees that demonstrates atmospheric perspective. This background treatment is characteristic of Perugino's approach to spatial depth. In contrast, the lighting is defined by a sharp, incisive chiaroscuro that casts long, distinct shadows across the ground. This dramatic illumination aligns with either Luca Signorelli's style or Perugino's early manner influenced by Verrocchio. A hidden signature attributed to Signorelli, dated 1480, was reportedly identified on the garment of Mary Magdalene.
History & Provenance
Pietro Perugino created the Crucifixion of Christ with saints between 1484 and 1495, likely for the church of San Giusto alle mura in Florence, where it was originally displayed alongside two other works for the Jesuati monks. Giorgio Vasari documented the triptych in its original side altar positions before the church was destroyed during the 1529 Siege of Florence. Following the monastery's relocation and later suppression, the painting changed hands multiple times before being acquired by the Uffizi Gallery in 1904 for 30,000 lire. Art historians debate its attribution: some suggest it was executed by a pupil of Perugino, while others attribute it to Perugino alone or in collaboration with Luca Signorelli, with recent analysis identifying a possible cryptographic signature by Signorelli dated 1480. The work measures 203 cm in height and 180 cm in width, reflecting its large-scale devotional function within the Renaissance religious context.
The painting is held in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. It was purchased by the Uffizi in 1904 for 30,000 lira.
The work was originally painted for the church of the Jesuati monastery of San Giusto alle mura in Florence, where Giorgio Vasari later saw it in place. After the church was destroyed during the 1529 Siege of Florence, the painting was moved to the order's new monastery of San Giovanni Battista della Calza near the Porta Romana. Following the suppression of that monastery, the work passed through several hands before its acquisition by the Uffizi.
Context
Scholarly debate surrounds both the dating and attribution of the *Crucifixion of Christ with saints*. Early attributions to a pupil of Perugino or to Perugino with Luca Signorelli’s collaboration have been challenged by recent identification of a concealed signature on Mary Magdalene’s robe, dated 1480, which has shifted some consensus toward Signorelli’s participation in the early 1480s.
The work’s iconography aligns with the Jesuati order’s devotional program at San Giusto alle mura, where it originally flanked a *Pietà* and an *Agony in the Garden*. Its composition reflects Perugino’s hallmark atmospheric landscape and balanced figural arrangement, while the incisive chiaroscuro aligns with Signorelli’s influence or Perugino’s Verrocchio-influenced early phase. Vasari recorded the ensemble in situ before the 1529 Siege of Florence, after which the paintings were relocated and later dispersed, entering the Uffizi in 1904.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Pietro Perugino (US: PERR-ə-JEE-noh, -oo-; Italian:; born Pietro Vannucci or Pietro Vanucci; c.
The Crucifixion with the Virgin, Saint John, Saint Jerome, and Saint Mary Magdalene
Madonna and Child
Portrait of Lorenzo di Credi![The Crucifixion with the Virgin, Saint John, Saint Jerome, and Saint Mary Magdalene [right panel], by Pietro Perugino](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/pietro-perugino--the-crucifixion-with-the-virgin-saint-john-saint-jerome-and--7d9a2b1f47b9fc9b-w320.webp)
The Crucifixion with the Virgin, Saint John, Saint Jerome, and Saint Mary Magdalene [right panel]
Saint John the Baptist; Saint Lucy
The Resurrection![The Crucifixion with the Virgin, Saint John, Saint Jerome, and Saint Mary Magdalene [left panel], by Pietro Perugino](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/pietro-perugino--the-crucifixion-with-the-virgin-saint-john-saint-jerome-and--1017dec17318baa5-w320.webp)
The Crucifixion with the Virgin, Saint John, Saint Jerome, and Saint Mary Magdalene [left panel]![The Crucifixion with the Virgin, Saint John, Saint Jerome, and Saint Mary Magdalene [middle panel], by Pietro Perugino](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/pietro-perugino--the-crucifixion-with-the-virgin-saint-john-saint-jerome-and--a9b4c312771e3f71-w320.webp)
The Crucifixion with the Virgin, Saint John, Saint Jerome, and Saint Mary Magdalene [middle panel]
