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
- Pere García de Benavarri
- 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
Provenance
Additional information
Text extracted from the ‘Provenance’ section of the catalogue entry in Neil MacLaren, revised by Allan Braham, ‘National Gallery Catalogues: The Spanish School’, London 1988; for further information, see the full catalogue entry.
Bibliography
-
1965The National Gallery, The National Gallery: June 1962 - December 1964, London 1965
-
1988Maclaren, Neil, revised by Allan Braham, National Gallery Catalogues: The Spanish School, 2nd edn (revised), London 1988
-
2001
C. Baker and T. Henry, The National Gallery: Complete Illustrated Catalogue, London 2001
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.