The Crucifixion from a Missal
French (Paris), ca. 1270-90
Tempera and gold leaf on parchment
Purchase, Bequest of Thomas W. Lamont, by exchange, 1981 (1981.322)

The elegantly elongated figures in this Crucifixion scene are isolated against alternating panels of diapered and tessellated backgrounds. The pigment used for the flesh tones has flaked away in several areas, exposing the refined penwork of the underdrawing; the head of Saint John is the best preserved . In this depiction, Adam rises from his grave and receives Christ's blood in a chalice, signaling the redemptive function of the Eucharist.