La Crucifixion

Taddeo di Bartolo's Crucifixion, now in the Musee du Petit Palais, demonstrates the Sienese school's capacity for rendering the central drama of Christian salvation with both emotional intensity and formal elegance. Taddeo was one of the most prolific Sienese painters of his generation, active from the 1380s through the 1420s. His Crucifixion scenes follow the rich Sienese tradition established by Duccio and the Lorenzetti, emphasizing the pathos of Christ's suffering and the grief of the mourning figures.

Egg tempera on gold-ground panel, with bold Sienese coloring and expressive figure drawing. Taddeo renders Christ's body with careful anatomical observation, while the mourning Virgin and Saint John display the dramatic gestures and flowing draperies characteristic of his mature narrative style.