| Crucifixion | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Artist | Lucas Cranach the Elder |
| Year | 1532 (1532) |
| Medium | oil on panel |
| Dimensions | 76 cm × 55 cm (30 in × 21.5 in) |
| Location | Indianapolis Museum of Art,Indianapolis, Indiana |
Crucifixion is anoil painting by German artistLucas Cranach the Elder. One of many versions of the subject painted by Cranach, this one, created in 1532, is now in theIndianapolis Museum of Art.
The bottom half of the painting is crowded with figures, all symbolically arranged to the left and the right of Christ. On the right is theVirgin Mary, who is held byJohn the Evangelist, andMary Magdalene is holding onto the Cross.The Good Thief andLonginus gaze directly at him, alluding to their salvation. There is a sharp contrast to those on the right, which includesRoman soldiers who are avoiding his gaze and theImpenitent thief, depicted as bald and bloated. Behind them are contemporary figures, who are considered unenlightened, as they have not yet borne witness to Christ.[1]
The painting emphasizesJesus Christ's sacrifice, and uses the witnesses to show recognition of the event of his death as a clear reference to newLutheran theology; sinful mankind is only redeemed through Christ, not through theCatholic church.
Cranach was the court painter to the electors of Saxony in Wittenberg, an area in the heart of the emergingProtestant faith. His patrons were powerful supporters ofMartin Luther, and Cranach used his art as a symbol of the new faith. Cranach made numerous portraits of Luther, and provided woodcut illustrations for Luther's German translation of theBible.Crucifixion should be seen through the lens of this new reformed religion.[2]
The Indianapolis Museum of Art purchased the painting in 2000, using funding from the Clowes Collection. The provenance ofCrucifixion is ambiguous, and the Indianapolis Museum of Art is attempting to learn where the painting originated.[3]
