Christ on the Cross

The original function of this tiny painting, executed with the refinement of an illumination, is unclear. The jewel-like image shows the figure of the crucified Christ alone, heightening the beholder’s empathy and engagement with his suffering. This delicate painting may have been made during the final period of the artist’s life, which Simone spent in the papal court at Avignon in France. His sophisticated circle of friends and patrons there, including the poet Petrarch and high-ranking members of the curia, would certainly have responded to its refined elegance.