Artwork Details
41 x 26-1/2 in. (panel) 52 x 33 in. (framed)
Accession NumberJames E. Roberts Fund
CopyrightEuropean Painting and Sculpture Before 1800
Color PalettePurchased by the John Herron Art Institute, now the Indianapolis Museum of Art, in 1924
Barnaba da Modena was the foremost painter in late 14th-century Genoa, an artistic outpost of Siena. His conservative style, with its extensive use of gold, is unusually expressive. The crowded composition is divided into distinct figure groups marked by incongruities of scale and animated by lively gestures: the anguished Magdalene at the foot of the Cross, the swooning Virgin, and the quarreling soldiers who cast lots over Christ's robe. The redemptive significance of Christ's death on the Cross is emphasized in the unusual detail of the soul of the Good Thief borne aloft by angels. The soul of the Bad Thief is carried away by a demon.
Content Disclaimer and Usage Rights
Metadata about the Indianapolis Museum of Art’s collection comes from Newfields’ records and research. In some cases, information may be incomplete and research is ongoing. Newfields’ goal is to have as up-to-date metadata as possible, therefore, this information is subject to change. Newfields collections’ metadata is available under a Creative Commons Zero (CC0) waiver, which allows for re-use without legal restrictions.
Artworks that appear in the image file(s) above may be in copyright or have other legal and/or cultural restrictions to their use. For clarity, Newfields does not claim copyright to the image files created by Newfields of artworks in the Indianapolis Museum of Art’s collection. Newfields makes every effort to ascertain the copyright status of artworks in the Indianapolis Museum of Art’s collection. Please refer to the RightsStatements.org statement above for information about the current copyright status of the artwork. Additionally, some artworks may include Local Context’s Notices or Labels that attribute cultural authority of the artwork’s heritage and data.
Additional information about Newfields’ reproduction guidelines can be found in the Licensing Resources.