Crucifix

Abstract

The body of Christ is here shown full of pathos and suffering, with pronounced ribs, swelling from a tiny waist, stretched arms, head slumped to the side, and thin, bent knees with space between them. Christ's mouth hangs open, showing his teeth, something that was generally not considered decorous and therefore offers an image of the extremity of his suffering. The nails in the hands are, unusually, in the form of flowers, suggesting the sort of devotion in which Christ's blood was called sweet and lovely and compared to flowers and jewels. This monumental work is housed in the Palazzo Pubblico in Siena. Photograph(s) licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.