Crucifix of San Domenico, Arezzo

The Crucifix of San Domenico in Arezzo is one of the key works for understanding the early career of Cimabue and the transformation of Italian painting during the thirteenth century. The image belongs to the type known as Christus patiens , in which Christ is represented dead or dying, with closed eyes and a body visibly affected by suffering.

This model gradually replaced the older image of the triumphant Christ, rigid and seemingly untouched by physical pain. Cimabue presents Christ with his body strongly curved to one side, creating the impression that the figure is responding to the physical weight of death. The torso is elongated and bent, the head falls sideways and the legs follow a sinuous movement that intensifies the sense of bodily abandonment.