The Crucifixion

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Curatorial Notes

In 1626 the Dominican monastery of San Pablo el Real in Seville, Spain, commissioned the young Francisco de Zurbarán to execute a cycle of paintings including The Crucifixion. This work was installed in a dimly lit space in the monastery and was visible to visitors through a grill. Early commentators remarked on its powerful illusion of three-dimensionality, as though it was a sculpture rather than a painting. The dramatically illuminated figure of Christ, set against a dark, empty background, appears outside of time and place, both idealized in its quiet beauty and humanized by the individualized face and insistent realism.

Artwork Identification

Title The Crucifixion
Title (PT) A Crucificação
Title (ES) La Crucifixión
Artist Francisco de Zurbarán
Artist Bio Francisco de Zurbarán (Spanish, 1598–1664)
Date 1627
Work Type Painting

Location & Collection

License Creative Commons Public Domain Mark 1.0
Ars Sancta