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The Crucifixion

Circle of Jan Provoost Netherlandish
ca. 1495
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 537
This exquisite private devotional painting contrasts Mary’s joy at the Annunciation, shown in the background, with her sorrow at the Crucifixion, where she swoons in John’s arms. The darkened sky heightens the poignancy of the Passion scene. Scattered around the cross are bones, referring to the belief that Adam’s skull was located on Golgotha. The pairing of the Annunciation and the Crucifixion accords with the medieval tradition that dedicated March 25th to the memory of Adam, the Annunciation, and Christ’s death, thus relating the Fall of Man, the conception of Christ, and the redemption of mankind offered by his death.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: The Crucifixion
  • Artist: Circle of Jan Provoost (Netherlandish (active Bruges))
  • Date: ca. 1495
  • Medium: Oil on wood
  • Dimensions: Overall 13 1/8 x 10 3/4 in. (33.3 x 27.3 cm); painted surface 12 5/8 x 10 1/4 in. (32.1 x 26 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: The Jack and Belle Linsky Collection, 1982
  • Object Number: 1982.60.21
  • Curatorial Department: European Paintings

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