The Crucifixion1470s · Study 1940.535

Context from the museum

This small picture belonged to a predella, a series of subsidiary panels consisting of narrative scenes and situated at the bottom of an altarpiece. Predella paintings are significant because the artist was allowed more freedom and inventiveness here than in the higher part of the altarpiece. In this Crucifixion scene, the harmony of colors, the monumentality of the figures, and the symmetry of the composition all reflect the classical spirit of Renaissance Italy. Moreover, the panel shows some characteristics of the traditional Sienese school—such as the quality and elegance of the lines—which persists in Giovanni’s works.

Museum description reproduced from its CC0 open-access record. Read the original catalog entry.

Read the dimensions before the image

The selected unframed measurement for The Crucifixion is 31 cm wide and 29.8 cm high, equivalent to approximately 12.2 × 11.7 inches. Dividing width by height gives a format ratio of 1.04:1. The rectangular bounding area is 0.09 square meters; it describes the measured footprint, not the amount of paint or the monetary value.

On an illustrative 300 cm wall, the recorded width occupies 10.3% of the span before adding a frame. A centered placement leaves approximately 134.5 cm on each side before adding a frame. These are calculations by Physical Art For Crypto using museum measurements. They are not the museum’s display recommendations.

Questions to bring to your own collection

With The Crucifixion in view, identify one feature you can point to, then distinguish what the museum records from your personal response. Keep its medium, tempera and oil with gold on wood panel, in your notes when comparing contemporary works.

• Which part of this near-square composition catches your eye first?
• Would a 31 cm width still suit the space after allowing for furniture and a frame?
• What surface detail would you need to see in person or in a close photograph?