The scene is a turning point in traditional iconography, after the experimental innovations in the Crucifixion  [it] of Giotto's Scrovegni Chapel frescoes.

The cross of Jesus is lifted from the center of the painting in hieratic splendor from a uniform gold ground.

Sorrowful angels surround the figure of Christ, while Mary Magdalene (in a red dress) embraces the base of the cross.

Saint John the Baptist stands at right, with a man on horseback who is raising his arm, a traditional gesture made by those recognizing Jesus as the son of God.

The figures at the sides of the painting are cut off, giving the impression of a crowd of people larger than those actually represented.