The Crucifixion

Jan Provost

ca. 1495 · Oil on wood · European Paintings

This exquisite private devotional painting contrasts Mary’s joy at the Annunciation, shown in the background, with her sorrow at the Crucifixion, where she swoons in John’s arms. The darkened sky heightens the poignancy of the Passion scene. Scattered around the cross are bones, referring to the belief that Adam’s skull was located on Golgotha. The pairing of the Annunciation and the Crucifixion accords with the medieval tradition that dedicated March 25th to the memory of Adam, the Annunciation, and Christ’s death, thus relating the Fall of Man, the conception of Christ, and the redemption of mankind offered by his death.

Artist

Jan Provost

Date

ca. 1495

Medium

Oil on wood

Department

European Paintings

Credit line

The Jack and Belle Linsky Collection, 1982