The Exaltation of the True Cross

Sebastiano Ricci

National Gallery of Art

This is a painting of a scene with a large cross at the center. The painting depicts a gathering around the cross, with angelic figures flying above amidst clouds. Some of these angels hold instruments, garlands, or tall staffs. On the ground, a group of individuals in colorful attire surround the bottom of the cross with a backdrop of a classical cityscape, including arches and stone buildings. In the bottom left, a man wearing a white cloth on his waist kneels down in front of the cross, his hands raised in prayer. To the right, two women in flowing clothes of gold and seafoam-green look at the cross, one resting her hand on it. At the very top of the painting, above the cross, is a pale-yellow arch.