Processional Cross with Saint Mary Magdalene and a Blessed Hermit

1392–95

Representative of the early work of Lorenzo Monaco, a monk and leading Florentine painter, this Crucifixion boasts delicate colors and simplified forms that are exceptionally well preserved. The panel has a hole drilled at the base, allowing it to be mounted on a pole and used as a processional cross, likely in the monastic Camaldolese community where Lorenzo had lived and worked.

Public domain · CC0
Free to download and reuse. Image courtesy of Art Institute of Chicago.

Artist

Lorenzo Monaco (Italian, 1370/75–1425)

Date

1392–95

Medium

Tempera on panel

Dimensions

Framed: 57.3 × 28 cm (22 9/16 × 11 1/16 in.)

Origin

Italy

Collection

Art Institute of Chicago

Credit

Mr. and Mrs. Martin A. Ryerson Collection