The Crucifixion
The scene shows Jesus dying on the cross, with the two thieves on his sides, the Virgin Mary and the pious women, Saint John, the soldiers and those who accompanied him to Calvary.Between 1515 and 1520, Gaudenzio Ferrari staged a three-dimensional scene of the crucifixion. It combines the traditional figures of the Gospel with a varied set of characters, showing a great naturalness of physiognomy and feelings. For example, the gypsy with her children and her little dog, the noblewoman with her little daughter, the group of old people, the soldiers and characters of everyday life, like the man with a goiter, who gives Jesus the sponge soaked in water and vinegar.
Gaudenzio continued the procession on the walls, with painted two-dimensional figures coordinated with the three-dimensional characters in coloured terracotta, of similar scale and proportions, so as to make the illusion of a unique scene. This narrative technique will remain as a model for the artists who worked at the Sacro Monte after him.