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Christ and the Two Thieves
Christ and the Two Thieves
Photo by Peter Paul Geoffrion

Christ and the Two Thieves

Culture Group
Date1430–1440
MediumTempera, burnished gold, and ink on vellum
DimensionsImage: 6 1/2 x 4 1/2 inches (16.5 x 11.4 cm)
Sheet: 6 5/8 x 4 3/4 inches (16.8 x 12.1 cm)

ClassificationsDrawing
Credit LineMuseum purchase with additional funds provided by bequest of Viola Mitchell Fearnside, by exchange
Object number2010.1.1
Collections
  • MEDIEVAL
  • PROVENANCE RESEARCH
Label TextThis miniature, with a delicate border of ivy leaves and flowers, depicts Christ's crucifixion on Good Friday. In a scene of over twenty figures, Christ is seen on the cross in the center, along with the two thieves crucified with him, his mother, St. John, Mary Magdalene, and the Roman soldiers who carried out the execution. Christ is being offered a sponge soaked with vinegar to quench his thirst by one of the Roman soldiers. This crowded scene is set against a background with a blue sky of stars and a patterned backdrop, featuring the delicate and decorative elegance of the late Gothic style.
ProvenanceDr. Robert Parsons, Wilmington, NC; purchased February 8, 2010 by Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University.