The Pistoia Crucifix

Pietro Tacca

National Gallery of Art

The body of a man cast from bronze hangs heavily from nails driven through his hands and both feet on a wooden cross in this sculpture, which would hang on a wall. The man’s head hangs down to our left, eyes closed as his shoulders shift to our left and his hips to our right. A ring of thorns encircles long, wavy hair. His torso and legs are lean and muscular, and he wears only a loincloth tied across his hips. His arms are unnaturally long and sinewy. A bronze banner with the letters “INRI” is affixed to the vertical beam near the top of the cross. The surface of the wood cross is dinged and speckled with worm holes, and the edges of the face of the cross are painted gold.