Crucifixion with Saint Mary Magdalene

Signorelli's Crucifixion with Saint Mary Magdalene from 1502 was painted for a church in Sansepolcro, Piero della Francesca's native city, during the same productive period as his other 1502 Sansepolcro commission. Mary Magdalene at the foot of the cross — traditionally identified with repentance and passionate devotion — became one of the most potent images of late medieval and Renaissance piety. Signorelli depicts the Magdalene with the expressive intensity that characterizes his late work, her anguished posture contrasting with the formal nobility of the crucified Christ above. The work shows his ability to combine monumental figure composition with emotional directness.

The muscular body of the crucified Christ demonstrates Signorelli's mastery of anatomy, while the Magdalene's anguished pose and flowing hair create a powerful emotional contrast at the foot of the cross.