Artwork
Crusifixion with the Virgin Mary and Sts Dominic, Jerome and Francis
Crusifixion with the Virgin Mary and Sts Dominic, Jerome and Francis is a tempera painting by the Mannerist artist Antonio del Ceraiolo. It dates from 1529 and is held in the collection of the Hermitage Museum.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1529, this tempera panel presents the crucifixion of Christ surrounded by the Virgin Mary and three saints—Dominic, Jerome, and Francis.
Created in 1529, this tempera panel presents the crucifixion of Christ surrounded by the Virgin Mary and three saints—Dominic, Jerome, and Francis. The central figure of Christ is affixed to a cross bearing the customary inscription, while a small skull rests at the foot, a traditional reminder of mortality. The composition is set against a distant landscape featuring a town, hills, and isolated figures.
Subject & Meaning
The work combines the Passion narrative with the presence of saints who embody distinct spiritual ideals: Saint Dominic, founder of the Dominican Order; Saint Jerome, renowned for his biblical scholarship; and Saint Francis, emblematic of humility and poverty. Their inclusion underscores the universal relevance of Christ’s sacrifice across different facets of Christian devotion, while the Virgin Mary’s blue mantle highlights her role as sorrowful witness.
Technique & Style
Executed in egg tempera, the painting displays the medium’s characteristic luminosity and precise, linear modeling. The surface is rendered with flat, vivid colors and sharply defined contours, reflecting the early Mannerist tendency toward stylized elegance rather than naturalistic depth. The background landscape is simplified, serving more as a decorative backdrop than a realistic setting.
History & Provenance
Antonio del Ceraiolo, a Florentine painter active between 1518 and 1538, produced the piece after training with Lorenzo di Credi and later Ridolfo Ghirlandaio. The panel eventually entered the State Hermitage Museum’s collection, where it remains part of the museum’s holdings of Italian Renaissance art.
Context
The painting belongs to a period when Florentine artists were transitioning from High Renaissance ideals toward the more expressive, artificial qualities of Mannerism. Ceraiolo’s work reflects this shift, combining devotional iconography with a heightened sense of compositional elegance, aligning with contemporary tastes for refined, courtly religious imagery.
Artist & collection
Artist
Antonio del Ceraiolo, also known as Antonio di Arcangelo (the nickname "Ceraiolo" derives from the profession of his father, a ceraiolo, or candle maker), was an Italian Renaissance painter active in his native Florence between 1518 and…
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