Crucifixion

Jesus is pictured on a Y-shaped cross, accentuating his own cross-like form and giving the image a subtle upward thrust. The agony of Magdalene below is shown in a pose that is both extremely extended and extremely contracted. Around the central figures circle black-winged angels, each giving a different nuance to grief. The angels are partly in front of the gold leaf and partly embedded in it. This image was painted in egg tempera, a traditional medium for icons.