Vitale da Bologna and Workshop, The Crucifixion
Circa 1351-60
Fresco
Pomposa Abbey, Codigoro, Italy
The iconography is typical of this period. A despondent Magdalene kneels at the foot of the cross clutching Jesus' foot. Mary has fainted and is being supported by another woman. Standing before his detachment with their SPQR banner, the centurion points to Jesus, signifying his remark, "Surely this was the Son of God." A soldier breaks the legs of the thief on the right, whose contorted arms are another feature of late Gothic representations. On the far left another soldier with a cudgel is about to do the same to the other thief.
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Photographed at the abbey by Richard Stracke, shared under Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license.