The Crucifixion - Andrea di Bartolo

A detailed Sienese tempera panel depicting the Crucifixion, featuring gold leaf and a dense narrative composition by Andrea di Bartolo.

This work by Andrea di Bartolo depicts the narrative of the Crucifixion, a subject central to Sienese painting during the late fourteenth century. The composition follows a traditional arrangement, with the central figure of Christ on the cross flanked by the two thieves. The background consists of a flat, gilded surface, a hallmark of the period that removes the scene from a specific temporal setting and places it within a spiritual, eternal realm.

To the left, the Virgin Mary is shown in a state of collapse, supported by the holy women, while the figure of Saint John the Evangelist stands nearby. The right side of the panel is occupied by a dense gathering of soldiers on horseback and on foot, their presence indicated by spears and shields. Two angels hover near the central cross, their forms rendered with delicate attention to their wings and garments. The artist employs a narrative approach, packing the lower portion of the panel with numerous figures to convey the scale of the event. The use of tempera allows for precise detail in the armour and the patterned fabrics of the clothing, while the gold leaf provides a reflective quality that interacts with the light in a physical space.

Andrea di Bartolo, active in Siena, was influenced by the earlier masters of the Sienese tradition, such as Duccio and Simone Martini. His work maintains the decorative qualities and the emphasis on line that defined the school. The figures are arranged in a manner that prioritises the clarity of the story over anatomical realism, a common feature of the Trecento. This print captures the texture of the original panel, including the aged surface of the gold and the specific colour palette of the tempera pigments, which have retained their character over the centuries.