Crucifix

Unknown

ca. 1150–1200 · White oak with paint, gold leaf, and tin leaf (corpus); softwood with paint and tin leaf (cross) · The Cloisters

Meant to be seen from both front and back, this large Crucifix represents Jesus hanging on the Cross, but nonetheless triumphant over death: his eyes are wide open, and he wears the gold crown of the King of Heaven. Though the original church from which this image comes is not known, figures of the living Christ on the Cross are found often in Romanesque Spain. A remarkable amount of the twelfth-century paint on the figure is preserved. There are conflicting accounts about the original provenance of the Crucifix; one source attributes it to the later convent of Santa Clara at Astudillo, near Palencia, but the source is not reliable.

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 1150–1200

Medium

White oak with paint, gold leaf, and tin leaf (corpus); softwood with paint and tin leaf (cross)

Culture

Spanish

Department

The Cloisters

Credit line

Samuel D. Lee Fund, 1935