The Crucifixion

Moderno

National Gallery of Art

This rectangular sculpture is a relief carving depicting a scene with three people raised on crosses. In the center is a man with his body facing us, his arms stretched out to the left and right. On either side of him are two more people whose bodies are contorted in unnatural, painful positions, their elbows and ankles appearing bound to the crosses. The central man has a cloth wrapped around his waist, while the other two appear nude. Below the three tall crosses is a crowd of overlapping people, some on horseback and many holding spears, shields, and banners. In the bottom left corner, a woman seems to have fainted, and two other people are supporting her. Another person with long, flowing hair is hugging the central cross, looking up at the man crucified on it. The sculpture is mostly bronze-colored, with some slightly darker areas of patina, and the relief is enclosed within a thin rectangular border.