Accession Number1970/1.177
TitleCrucifixion
Artist(s)Bartolommeo da BresciaArtist NationalityItalian (culture or style)Object Creation Date1565-1576Medium & Supportetching on paperDimensions 6 ⅛ in x 4 ¼ in (15.56 cm x 10.8 cm);19 3/10 in x 14 3/10 in (49.05 cm x 36.35 cm)
Credit LineMuseum PurchaseSubject matterThis small etching depicts the Crucifixion of Christ. The heads and wings of three cherubim emerge from the clouds that gather around the top of the cross, signaling the divine importance of the event. The skull and bones at the base of the cross evoke the name Golgotha, or "Place of the Skull," where the Crucifixion was said to have taken place, and also allude to Christ's eventual triumph over death.
Physical DescriptionFrom the height of a cross, a crucified man, wearing a crown of thorns and a loincloth, looms over a dramatic landscape. Three heads with wings appear near the top of the cross, and a skull and crossed bones lay at its base. A vast prospect of distant mountains and a bustling port unfolds through the background.
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Keywords
Christianity
etching (printing process)
harbors
landscapes (representations)
putti (motifs)
skulls (skeleton components)