Christ on the Cross between the Virgin and St. John the Evangelist

The death of Christ on the cross, the Crucifixion, is the central image in Christian art and the visual focus for contemplation.

Christ’s mother, the Virgin Mary, stands at left and his loyal disciple and childhood friend, Saint John the Baptist is at right, both with extreme expressions of grief. The austere composition is pared down to the barest elements emphasizing Christ’s battered body and the complete anguish of Mary and John. Christ exhales his last breath and his wounds bleed from a gaunt body while Mary holds up her arms in disbelief and helplessness.