Crucifixion and Blessing Christ

This panel combining a Crucifixion with a Blessing Christ by Bernardo Daddi, dated around 1340, exemplifies the devotional diptych format that was central to private worship in Trecento Florence. Daddi dominated the market for small-scale devotional paintings in Florence after Giotto's death in 1337, producing works of exquisite craftsmanship for the city's mercantile elite. The pairing of Christ's sacrifice with his triumphant blessing offered the viewer a complete theological meditation on redemption.

Executed in egg tempera on panel with gold ground, the work demonstrates Daddi's refined miniaturist technique and his gift for condensing complex theological subjects into intimate formats. The Crucifixion scene is composed with careful symmetry, while delicate punch-work patterns enliven the gilded background.