Today is Good Friday, which in Christianity commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Calvary. It is observed during Holy Week on the Friday before Easter Sunday and is a solemn day of reflection, prayer, and fasting, marking Jesus' sacrifice for humanity's sins.
In certain periods, Crucifixions have been a central theme in Western art history. Today, we present a magnificent work by Fra Angelico. He was a Dominican friar and Italian painter of the Early Renaissance, described by Giorgio Vasari in his Lives of the Artists as having "a rare and perfect talent." He earned his reputation primarily for the series of fantastic frescoes he made for his own friary, San Marco, in Florence, then worked in Rome and other cities. All his known work is of religious subjects.
This early work of his, likely created for private devotion, heightens the drama of Christ’s Crucifixion. In the foreground, the Virgin collapses in grief, surrounded by Mary Magdalene and Mary of Clopas in mourning. Behind them, Roman soldiers and their horses stand guard around the cross, some gazing at Christ while others exchange glances. The innovative circular composition draws inspiration from Lorenzo Ghiberti’s bronze doors for the Baptistery of Florence. With its emphasis on spatial depth and expressive human emotion, this painting foreshadows Fra Angelico’s signature style.
P.S. In Christianity, Good Friday is part of the week-long preparation for Christ's resurrection. To celebrate the Christian festival of Easter, here is the story of Holy Week explained in paintings.