The Crucifixion 1762

Pompeo Batoni painted this depiction of The Crucifixion in Italy, during the eighteenth century. Crucifixion scenes were common, commissioned by religious institutions and wealthy patrons. But in this example, the artist departs from tradition. Batoni was known for his Grand Tour portraits. Instead of focusing on Jesus's suffering, he idealizes the body, drawing on classical sculpture. The other figures, Mary and Mary Magdalene, are painted in a similarly idealized style. This contrasts with the brutal reality of the crucifixion as a form of state-sanctioned execution, an aspect that many other artists emphasized. Batoni’s more refined image reflects the tastes of the educated elite. Art history teaches us that images do not exist in a vacuum. We can better understand works like this by looking at patronage records, religious writings, and the artist’s biography, and by considering the social and political functions of art at the time it was made.