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Pere García de Benavarri, 'The Crucifixion', about 1450-60

About the work

Overview

Christ hangs on the Cross, emaciated, blood dripping from the wounds in his hands, feet and side. His head is slumped in death, his face pale. His followers sit on the ground around him, inconsolable. Christ’s mother, the Virgin Mary, has collapsed in her grief.

This panel once formed the pinnacle of a large polyptych (multi-panelled altarpiece) made for the small church of Saint Martin at Riglos, north-eastern Spain. Until recently the painting was attributed to the anonymous Master of Riglos, named after the altarpiece, but its style comes close to works by Pere García de Benavarri. García is thought to have trained with Blasco de Grañén (documented 1422–1459), the artist who painted the main panel of the Riglos altarpiece (today in the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya, Barcelona).

Spanish polyptychs at this date often took the form of a large central panel, showing the saint to whom the church was dedicated, surrounded by smaller panels and topped with an image of the Crucifixion. They often had very elaborate gilded frames.

Key facts

Details

Full title
The Crucifixion
Artist dates
documented 1445 - 1485
Date made
about 1450-60
Medium and support
egg tempera on wood
Dimensions
43 × 102.5 cm
Acquisition credit
Bequeathed by Sir Ronald Storrs, 1964
Inventory number
NG6360
Location
Not on display
Collection
Main Collection

About this record

If you know more about this painting or have spotted an error, please contact us. Please note that exhibition histories are listed from 2009 onwards. Bibliographies may not be complete; more comprehensive information is available in the National Gallery Library.

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