THE CRUCIFIXION ALTARPIECE

STYLE 

The relief displays an orderly, symmetrical composition centred around the axis made up by the figures of Christ and Mary Magdalene. The remaining figures are distributed over two compact blocks under each of the two robbers. However, some holes on the back panel would seem to indicate that at least one more figure is also missing.  

Generally speaking, the two rather small figures express very little emotion. In some cases, this lack of expression makes the figures look almost absent. The exceptions are the two thieves, who have much more dramatic expressions, especially the face of the thief on the left whose posture is also more forced. 

The faces of the men are very wide with massive chins and short, wide noses. Expressions on the women's more rounded faces are somewhat softer. The treatment of garments is quite  grandiloquent. Fabrics do not have very many pleats and folds, but the ones we can see are firmly executed, even to the point, in the case of Mary Magdalene, to which her garments appear to be quite elegant.