The Crucifixion with Saint Mary Magdalene
1490
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1490
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
The Crucifixion with Saint Mary Magdalene is a 1490 ink by Michael Wolgemut, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This image shows a man nailed to a cross with arms spread wide. Below him, a crowd of people—some weeping, others watching—stands in a hilly landscape with distant buildings. The colors are flat and bright, with reds, blues, and greens standing out against the pale figures. Notice how the artist used sharp lines and simple shapes to show emotion, not realistic faces. The woodcut technique means the image was carved into wood, then inked and colored by hand. Look up woodcut next to see how this printing method worked in the 1400s.
