10 Crucifixions to Celebrate Good Friday

1. The Magical Gem

The date of the first image of Christ Crucified is disputed. Some place the first image of Christ Crucified to the period of the Emperor Constantine the Great (reigned 306–337 CE) who bravely allowed for the free expression of Christianity, while other scholars state that the first images of the Crucifixion only occurred around the 5th century. The subject appeared to struggle to find a suitable place within the earliest pictorial schemas, and when it did eventually appear (as part of the general expansion of narrative images in the 4th and early 5th centuries, particularly in a more broader inclusion of “death” scenes, and not just of Christ), the focus was firmly on Christ’s victory over death.

Regardless, the magical gem with the Crucifixion from the late 2nd to early 3rd century is considered by some the earliest extant depiction of the Crucifixion. The style of large bloodstone intaglio is typical of Greco-Roman magical amulets originating in Egypt and Syria.

2. Santa Sabina Wooden Door Panel

Moving into the early Christian period, one of the first known Crucifixion scenes in Western art in a public setting appears on the wooden doors of the Roman church of Santa Sabina. Carved in relief, Christ stands with outstretched arms, his suffering sanitized. The two thieves on either side are small and almost indistinct, emphasizing Christ’s central and triumphant role rather than his agony.

3. San Damiano Cross

The San Damiano Cross presents a victorious Christ, his eyes wide open as if he has already transcended death. This painted wooden crucifix is famously associated with St. Francis of Assisi (d. 1226), who received a divine vision while praying before it. For this reason, it is an important object for Franciscan believers. This painted wooden crucifix underscores the triumph of the Resurrection, with smaller narrative scenes integrated around the cross. Today, the original crucifix hangs in the Basilica of Saint Clare in Assisi, Italy, while a copy can be seen in its original location in the church of San Damiano.

4. Crucifixion by Giotto

In the early Renaissance, Giotto (d. 1337) redefined religious painting by depicting biblical scenes with human emotion and spatial depth. His fresco in the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua draws the viewer into the sorrow of the event. The Virgin Mary collapses in grief, while angels twist in anguish above. The weight of Christ’s body and the emotional depth of the figures create a palpable sense of loss. Surrounding this fresco, the chapel is richly decorated by Giotto with frescoes from the life of Mary and Christ.

5. Santa Croce Crucifix by Donatello

Donatello’s (1386–1466) sculpted wooden crucifix, known as the Santa Croce Crucifix, presents a deeply humanized and suffering figure. Earlier depictions of Christ in death depict him skeletal, bleeding, and tormented. Here, Christ’s suffering is instead reflected in his tensed facial expression. What’s also captivating about this object is that Christ’s arms, although now fixed in place, once moved. This articulation would have been used during reenactments of Christ’s deposition from the cross during Easter celebrations.

6. Crucifixion and Last Judgment Diptych by Jan van Eyck

In the Northern Renaissance art, Belgian artist Jan van Eyck (1390–1441) brought an astonishing level of detail to the Crucifixion, depicting the atmosphere that surrounded the event. This diptych at the MET shows Christ’s suffering alongside the chaos of a crowd below, each figure painted with a unique expression. The landscape stretches toward the horizon, grounding the scene in a heightened sense of reality. The second panel, depicting the Last Judgment, serves as a reminder of the consequences of Christ’s sacrifice.

7. Isenheim Altarpiece by Matthias Grünewald

Perhaps the most harrowing depiction of the Crucifixion in art history, Grünewald’s Isenheim Altarpiece was created for a hospital treating patients diagnosed with skin diseases. Christ’s body is twisted and covered in sores. This gruesome realism was meant to offer solace to the sick, reminding them that Christ shared in their pain.

8. Christ Crucified by Diego Velázquez

In the 17th century, Spanish painter Diego Velázquez (1599–1660) stripped the Crucifixion down to its essentials: Christ and the cross. Against a dark background, Christ’s body is rendered with realism, his head bowed serenely in resignation. The painting exudes an overall softness that, unlike earlier dramatic compositions, invites quiet reflection and emphasizes Christ’s solitary suffering.

9. Christ of Saint John of the Cross by Salvador Dalí

In the 20th century, Salvador Dalí (1904–1989) reimagined the Crucifixion through his Surrealist lens. Inspired by a mystical vision and drawing by the 16th-century Spanish friar John of the Cross, Dalí presents Christ from a birds-eye-view, or celestial, perspective, floating above a dreamlike landscape. Unusually, there are no nails or visible wounds. The fusion of religious and Surrealist imagery offers a modern and unique meditation on Christianity and Christ’s sacrifice.

10. Three Studies for a Crucifixion by Francis Bacon

In the 20th century, Francis Bacon (1909–1992) reimagined the Crucifixion through a grotesque and existential lens in multiple triptychs he painted depicting the theme. Bacon presented disembodied, writhing figures to explore the brutal realities of the human existence. Despite his avowedly irreligious stance, Bacon saw the Crucifixion as a “magnificent armature” to convey the emotional and sensory extremes of life, especially human suffering. This radical interpretation of the Crucifixion reflects Bacon’s exploration of suffering as universal and human, transcending religious iconography to focus on the visceral, inevitable fate shared by all.

From the mystical gem of the early Christian world to Bacon’s nightmarish distortions, the Crucifixion has been reinterpreted through the lens of each era’s artistic, theological, and philosophical concerns. Some artists have emphasized suffering, others transcendence or the weight of death. Across centuries, the Crucifixion remains a powerful and evolving symbol, speaking to both faith and the human condition, one that is celebrated by millions across the globe on Good Friday.