It was painted in Florence, c. 1420–1423, early in Fra Angelico's independent career (before he joined the Dominican order at San Domenico, Fiesole, in 1423).
Then held in private collections for centuries before entering the public record.
Now held permanently in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
The Crucifixion is a religious and devotional painting, painted by the Italian artist Fra Angelico. Fra Angelico is a well-known artist; however, this was his artistic name, and his actual birth name was Guido di Pietro. He was an active painter in the early Florentine Renaissance that was emerging around 1400. Besides being a painter, he was initially an Italian Dominican friar, which is evidently seen in his interest and choice of painted works that he chose to create, which mainly focuses on religious figures and events. He was so devoted to this that it is said he could never paint a Crucifixion without weeping while doing it.
Similarly, this painting was a panel created by him for the purpose of religious devotion, made somewhere around 1420–1423. It is believed to be the earliest surviving version of this subject that he painted, and it is even thought to be possibly his only signed work, which makes it very important for people trying to understand his style and the timeline of his life. It was painted using tempera and gold on a wood panel, which was a common technique of that time, and the gold background was used to give the scene a divine and sacred feel.
This painting depicts an episode of the crucifixion of Christ on the cross, as mentioned in the Bible. The most beautiful element of this painting is the detail that was painted to show a more emotional side of the incident rather than a formal setting. It portrays Mary, Jesus's mother, who collapses and is being held by Mary Magdalene and Mary of Cleofas as she witnesses the sadness of bearing the death of Jesus, her son. Behind the cross stand the Roman soldiers who look up to Jesus, keeping watch on him, while the others were somehow engaged in confusion, exchanging glances among themselves. The whole scene is set up in a circular kind of arrangement, which is said to be inspired by Lorenzo Ghiberti's bronze doors made for the Baptistry of Florence, and this helps guide the eyes of the viewer through each figure and their reaction. This painting is currently kept at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
This early work by Fra Angelico, likely made for private devotion, accentuates the drama of Christ’s Crucifixion. In the foreground the Virgin collapses in grief, surrounded by the lamenting Mary Magdalen and Mary of Cleofas. Behind them, a band of Roman soldiers and their horses stand watch around the cross. Some men focus their gazes on Christ, while others exchange glances. The innovative circular composition was inspired by the bronze doors created by Lorenzo Ghiberti for the Baptistry of Florence. In its focus on spatial effects and convincing human emotion, this painting provides evidence of what would become Fra Angelico’s trademarks
