Brunelleschi Crucifix

In his 2002 book, Masaccio e le origini del Rinascimento, the art historian Luciano Bellosi described Brunelleschi's crucifix as "probably the first Renaissance work in the history of art" ("probabilmente, la prima opera rinascimentale della storia dell'arte"), representing a definitive turn away from the stylised postures of Gothic sculpture and a return to the naturalism of classical sculpture.

According to Giorgio Vasari, the sculpture was Brunelleschi's response to a similar polychrome wooden crucifix made by Donatello for the church of Santa Croce, also in Florence, c.1406-1408.

Echoing the proportions of the ideal Vitruvian man, the span of Christ's arms match exactly his height, with the navel at the centre of the body.

The pearwood of Brunelleschi's sculpture suffered from radial cracks in this area, which he concealed with a stiffened linen loincloth, but he did not sculpt Christ's genitals beneath.

The practice of sculpting Jesus naked, but omitting the genitals, became common in the 15th century, although Michelangelo's crucifix at Santo Spirito from 1492 is an exception.