The Crucifixion with Saints

This impressive polyptych (multi-panel work) is the main section of a larger altarpiece painted for the Church of San Giorgio a Ruballa outside Florence. The inscription below the central panel provides the artist’s name, and dates the work

to shortly before his death from the plague. Daddi was the leading painter of his day and the inscription boldly asserts his authorship.

The Crucifixion was considered a particularly appropriate theme for an altarpiece. During the celebration of Mass, it served as a visual expression of Christ’s sacrifice for the redemption of humanity. The saints on either side are larger in scale, leading viewers towards this central scene.

Contemporaries praised Daddi’s touching and detailed representations, such as the fainting Virgin Mary at the foot of the cross and the soldiers gambling for Christ’s tunic.