Artwork
Scenes from the Passion of Christ: The Crucifixion [middle panel]
![Scenes from the Passion of Christ: The Crucifixion [middle panel], by Andrea Vanni, tempera, 1384](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/andrea-vanni--scenes-from-the-passion-of-christ-the-crucifixion-middle-pan--abe5469a28e77ac7-w1024.webp)
Scenes from the Passion of Christ: The Crucifixion [middle panel] is a tempera painting by the Byzantine icon painting artist Andrea Vanni. It dates from 1384 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:lower center on original frame of the panel, some of the letters restored: ANDREAS UANNIS / DE SENIS / ME PINXIT (Andreas di Vanni of Siena painted me); above the cross, in gold bordered by red rectangle: INRI; on red flag, in gold: SPQR
About this work
Technique & Style
The work is executed in tempera on panel, a standard medium for Italian devotional painting of the late Trecento.
The work is executed in tempera on panel, a standard medium for Italian devotional painting of the late Trecento. This technique involves the application of pigments bound in egg emulsion over a prepared wooden support, allowing for the precise linear definition and layered modeling visible in the composition. The panel format is consistent with the central position of the Crucifixion within a larger narrative ensemble, where the middle panel would have served as the focal element of the altarpiece complex.
Stylistically, Andrea di Vanni's handling reflects the Sienese tradition of the 1380s, characterized by refined draftsmanship and a measured, devotional approach to sacred subject matter.
History & Provenance
The middle panel of Scenes from the Passion of Christ: The Crucifixion was painted by Andrea di Vanni in 1384. By 1919 it was owned by the New York collector William Andrews Clark (1839–1925), who bequeathed it to the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.; the gallery received the work in 1926. Following the dissolution of the Corcoran's holdings, the panel passed to the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., in 2014, where it now resides. No exhibition history beyond this institutional succession is documented in the available sources.
Overview
Andrea di Vanni's painting, Scenes from the Passion of Christ: The Crucifixion [middle panel], was created around 1384 using tempera on panel. This work depicts the pivotal moment of Christ's crucifixion, forming the central element of a larger narrative series. The composition captures the intense human drama surrounding the event, presenting a detailed visual account of the biblical scene.
Subject & Meaning
The panel centers on Jesus affixed to the cross, a focal point amidst a diverse gathering. Surrounding figures express a range of emotions, from profound grief and sorrow to anger or disinterest, reflecting the varied human responses to the crucifixion. This depiction emphasizes the emotional weight and theological significance of the event, inviting contemplation on the suffering and sacrifice.
![Scenes from the Passion of Christ: The Agony in the Garden, the Crucifixion, and the Descent into Limbo [entire triptych]](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/andrea-vanni--scenes-from-the-passion-of-christ-the-agony-in-the-garden-th--1ebebae2d86a2ec2-w320.webp)
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
![Scenes from the Passion of Christ: The Descent into Limbo [right panel], by Andrea Vanni](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/andrea-vanni--scenes-from-the-passion-of-christ-the-descent-into-limbo-rig--9eb5d32175c31b6f-w320.webp)
![Scenes from the Passion of Christ: The Agony in the Garden [left panel], by Andrea Vanni](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/andrea-vanni--scenes-from-the-passion-of-christ-the-agony-in-the-garden-le--2bad16de75eee8eb-w320.webp)
