Crucifix

Few examples of double-sided painted crosses survive, likely because they were carried in processions and damaged through frequent handling. They traditionally depict two moments of Christ’s crucifixion, before and after his death. Here, we find Christ on one side with eyes open and skin still pink, while on the other his lids have closed and the color has drained from his body. The artist was a gifted follower of Orcagna, considered the greatest Florentine painter of the mid-fourteenth century.