Crucifix
c. 1470 - c. 1490
Medium
walnut (corpus) and fruit wood (?) (cross) with polychromy
Dimensions
18; 151; 12.5; 116; 91; 2.5
About this artwork
inscription, on the banderole on the right quatrefoil: illegible
Art Historical Context
This striking Crucifix, crafted anonymously around 1470–1490, exemplifies late medieval devotional art from Northern Europe. Carved from walnut for the finely detailed corpus—the sculpted body of Christ—and possibly fruitwood for the cross, it stands at an imposing 151 cm tall, making it suitable for prominent display in a church or chapel. The thin profile (just 2.5 cm deep) highlights its sculptural focus, designed to be viewed from multiple angles during processions or worship. Polychromy, the original layering of paint and gilding, once brought vivid life to the wood, emphasizing Christ's...
About the Artist
anonymous
In the vast tapestry of art history, "Anonymous" stands not as a singular individual but as a collective designation for countless unidentified creators whose works have endured across millennia. These artists, spanning prehistoric cave painters to medieval illuminators and folk craftsmen, produced the foundational layers of human visual culture. Prior to the Renaissance, when individual fame emer...