Crucifixion; published in Operette: Regola a tutti religiosi, Trattato del sacramento e dei misteri della Messa, Ragola del ben vivere
1499
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1499
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Crucifixion; published in Operette: Regola a tutti religiosi, Trattato del sacramento e dei misteri della Messa, Ragola del ben vivere is a 1499 by Unknown, a Renaissance work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
You see a simple woodcut of Christ on the cross, with two thieves beside him. This image was printed in a book of rules for monks around 1499, right after Savonarola was hanged in Florence. He preached against fancy art and luxury, yet here’s a picture meant to teach faith—plain, not fancy. The artist is unknown, but the style feels urgent, like a sermon in ink. To see more art from this time, look up *italy, florence, late 15th century*.
Girolamo Savonarola was a Dominican friar who, in 1481, went to Florence to preach against the immorality at the court of Lorenzo de Medici and the corruption of the clergy. As prior of the monastery of San Marco, he convinced the public to cast objects of luxury into huge bonfires. Savonarola became increasingly fanatical and obstinate, finally coming into conflict with Pope Alexander VI. The friar was excommunicated and hanged in 1498.
Read the full account in the museum source.
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