Processional Cross
Medium
oil on canvas on wood
Dimensions
61.3 × 44.2 × 2.6 cm
Classification
Painting
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund
Accession Number
1943.280
Tags
About this artwork
This cross was originally mounted on a tall pole and carried in religious processions. Therefore, the figures on each side are almost identical. In the center is Christ crucified. Looking on from the elaborate terminals at left and right are the Virgin and Saint John. The bottom terminal shows a different saint on each side: Saint Francis on one and Saint Clare on the other. At the top of each side is an angel. Although one angel looks up and the other down, both express intense grief in their f...
About the Artist
Master of Santa Chiara (Italian)
The designation "Italian" in art collections typically refers to an anonymous artist or a loose attribution to works from Italian schools, rather than a specific individual. With 173 known artworks in the museum's collection, this entry likely encompasses paintings by unidentified masters active across various periods, such as the Renaissance, Baroque, or later eras. Early life and personal detail...