The Crucified Christ

This Crucified Christ by Giovanni Pisano illustrates how Tuscany and Italian artists embraced French Gothic art, which is well represented in the collections of the Musée de Cluny.

The precious ivory statuette depicts Christ in agony on the cross (now lost), his eyes still open beneath eyebrow arches clenched in suffering. His open mouth, in which the upper incisors can be seen, accentuates his painful expression.

In an attitude of resignation and abandonment, his head hangs towards his right shoulder. The expressive power of the face, the finesse of the anatomical rendering, and the masterful treatment of ivory are all qualities that suggest that the creator of this work is a prominent sculptor, well-versed in the artistic and aesthetic explorations of his time.

Born in Pisa around 1250, Giovanni Pisano was one of the most famous Tuscan sculptors of his time. His creations contributed to the renewal of sculpture and architecture at the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries. In particular, he contributed to building the Chair of the Baptistery of Siena when he was a young man. Throughout his career, he completed numerous commissions in marble, wood, stone, gold, and ivory for prestigious patrons.

Several wooden versions of Christ on the Cross he made are now preserved in the museums preserving works from the cathedrals of Pisa and Siena.

The work, recognised as being of major cultural heritage significance, was purchased by mutual agreement on 20 January 2023 with the support of patrons and donors. A call for contributions was therefore launched by the Society of Friends of the Musée de Cluny to collect part of the sum required for this acquisition.