04 Christ on the Cross with the Virgin and Saints John the Evangelist, Dominic, and Jerome Fra Angelico (1400-1455)
Fra Angelico – 04 Christ on the Cross with the Virgin and Saints John the Evangelist, Dominic, and Jerome
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Painter: Fra Angelico
Location: National museum of San Marco, Florence (Museo Nazionale di San Marco).
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A Poem about Christ
A Mantegna or Holbein reproduction – where the body is like a landscape.
We are used to distorted narratives,
To dead apparitions, and this landscape is ours.
How we crucify Christ again,
And read Kazantzakiss novel
With fervent haste.
Christ is dead – and that is our flaw.
Christ is alive – and the heavens above us
Shine with a sum of light – Christ is alive –
They proclaim.
Merciful to sins,
We do not cultivate spiritual roses.
The waters of Jordan sparkle
Like hot and golden brocade,
And baptism of light embraces
The Son of Man – stand firm!
The path to deification, given
To the Son of Man, we shall not repeat!
In our deceitful modernity –
It would be so absurd. Go forth to them!
A dove gently glows gold in the sky.
Gods son goes out to preach.
Black faces all around, dull,
An empty cycle of pale deeds.
How can he, born in a cave,
Acquire royal power, thick authority?
The Magi rode, believing in the event.
Hades craved victims in vain.
They rode through the blue – and round –
Snow on camels and donkeys.
Shepherds went – the night bloomed absurdly,
With an incomprehensible joy in their hearts.
... in the office, a scam is unfolding,
A fat boss rubs his hands together.
There are crimes, of course.
Is Christ born in every heart?
Master Eckhart said: To be born
In Bethlehem could happen a thousand times –
If it does not happen in your heart –
Then theres nothing to tell.
Here is the flight to Egypt, key event,
Because an angel announced it.
What next? Your heart is troubled,
You think? The substance of events
You strive to feel – or did Christ attain wisdom
In the East?
But the Gospels are silent about that.
However, there is a question.
Here is the miraculous catch –
The Rabbi gained disciples.
Temptation in the wilderness –
The word of light canceled it.
We know many words,
Believing they are united
With the eternal Word of Words.
Who today will be overcome
By vanity? Few are willing.
... wars raged fiercely into reality,
Wars where blood was shed for faith.
Arrows, spears, as if life is banal,
And love is distorted all around.
Christ enters Jerusalem –
He cleanses the temple from the greedy.
The Last Suppers sound –
We do not know such things.
Who was Joseph of Arimathea,
Who collected Christs blood in a cup?
Fulfilling lifes duty
In a bitter, extremely difficult hour.
You are great, Christ – I know, I know,
I am a writer – so very small.
And – alas – I do not suffer for you,
But am stung by the sum of evil.
You are great – I turn to you,
Living word! Revive
My soul, if I cannot comprehend it –
If it is in sin, almost in blood?
A garden, full of lights, and torches blaze
In the hands of soldiers, and here
Christ is taken, and passions pierce
The people – he is full, waiting for something.
Pilates trial – a trial not a trial in essence.
And he would have sent legions
Dressed as Zealots... But this path
Is impossible, even though Pilate craved
To release such a beggar.
But the Law cannot be changed.
If Christ came from words,
Then events must follow.
They flogged him, fierce, mocked him,
And wove a crown of thorns.
And in a crimson cloud they frolicked
With mundane concerns.
Christ walks – he walks, bent by the cross,
Blood is created in capsules of sand.
Holy blood...
Laughter, sharp tales,
Rags, and curiosity – where is love?
Its spherical volume is above us.
Who gives alms to the poor today?
Who fears sin? Well – its not a flame:
Sin is pleasant, it hardly burns.
The spherical volume of love is above us.
Christ goes through a labyrinth of torments.
What flag do we raise – hostility
Is our ignorance – a question –
Our true lack of understanding,
Separating essence from glitter.
Worship! Here is your rock idol!
Rejoice – life is this game.
Christian churches cannot
Heal the cracks with love.
We are holier! We are closer to Christ!
Inter-church dialogue will not happen.
We see nothing above the roof.
I do not judge – I reflect.
Here.
Here Christ walks, bent by the cross.
Here he is crucified. He rose. Light shines.
We grow – and steadily create
Lifes garden.
And there are no alternatives.
You cannot comment Why?
Flanking the crucified figure are four other individuals arranged on a lower plane. To the left stands a woman draped in pinkish-purple robes, her head bowed in what appears to be sorrowful contemplation. Beside her is another female figure, similarly cloaked, whose posture conveys grief and resignation. On the right side of the composition, two male figures are positioned. One, clad in a dark blue habit with a white clerical collar, extends his arms towards the crucified figure in an apparent gesture of supplication or intercession. The other man, dressed in a simple white robe, holds a book open, perhaps representing scripture or theological understanding. A halo surrounds both men’s heads, indicating their sanctity.
The artist employed a flattened perspective, characteristic of early devotional art. There is little attempt at creating realistic depth; instead, the figures are presented against a backdrop that serves primarily to highlight them. The lighting is even and diffused, contributing to the overall solemnity of the scene.
Subtleties in color choices contribute to the painting’s emotional impact. The pale flesh tones of the central figure contrast sharply with the darker hues of the surrounding figures and background, drawing immediate attention to his suffering. The pinkish-purple robes worn by the women evoke a sense of mourning and piety. The use of gold for the halos reinforces the spiritual significance of the depicted individuals.
The arrangement of the figures suggests a narrative beyond the central event of crucifixion. The presence of the woman likely represents Mary, mother of Christ, while the other male figures may symbolize saints or witnesses to the event, offering prayers and contemplation. This grouping implies themes of faith, sacrifice, and divine compassion – a visual meditation on suffering and redemption intended to inspire devotion in the viewer.