The Crucifixion

The Crucifixion, perhaps Christianity's most famous symbol of the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Let us learn how Lorenzo Ghiberti chose to depict it within his north doors.

This passage is the penultimate stage in the Passion of Christ, with just his Resurrection remaining. Lorenzo Ghiberti simply could not cover the life of this religious icon without this episode, it is this moment that provided his legacy through his selfless action for the benefit of others.

This panel is one of the simpler in Ghiberti's north doors in terms of composition. He chooses just a small number of characters with minimal background detail and simply allows the famous scene to speak for itself. Comparing this to some of his busier panels, where large groups of individuals congregate in the foreground, it is clear that he wanted this scene to feel different, which it does.

The significant of this scene suggests that perhaps he would choose to complete each and every detail himself, where as we know most of the panels received help from his skilled assistants. There was a number of famous names who learnt their trade, at least to a certain degree, under the tutorship of Lorenzo Ghiberti, with Donatello the best known of those. It is interesting to compare Donatello's David with his master's David and Goliath.