Crucifix (fragment)

This fragmentary crucifix is considered by scholars to have been the work of a German wood-carver active in Umbria, perhaps also in Siena. With its well-proportioned beauty and relaxed posture, it is an outstanding document of the lasting impact of the International Gothic style on the Early Renaissance. In type, it is related to a number of other crucifixes that have survived in Umbria. There are similarities in the curled beard locks and the discrete veins on the body as well as in the treatment of the loincloth, with Y-shaped folds at the left side. The crucifix was originally painted in tempera, and the flesh parts were over-painted in white oil paint at a later date, giving them a cool appearance.