Foto R. Redi-M. Fatucchi
The group is attributed to Francesco Della Robbia, better known as Fra' Ambrogio, and its realization for the church of Saint Francis in Foiano dates back to the first decades of the 16th century.
The piece is currently in the transept and it is built around a precious wooden Crucifix by Andrea Della Robbia, which represents Christ upon his death. On its right there is a group of four full-scale figures, with the Pious Women who support Virgin suddenly taken ill at the bottom of the cross.
The scene is also completed by four more single statues: Magdalene knelt down at the bottom of the Cross, Saint John Evangelist who looks at the Crucifix, Saint Francis and Saint Clare on the two sides.
The whole piece is skillfully built as a "freeze frame" of Jesus' death, which shortly precedes the Mourning moment after the Cross deposition.
The group has been split several times and moved to different locations but always inside the Municipality of Foiano and it was rebuilt in its original location (Church of Saint Francis) for the first time in 2009, on the occasion of the provincial event "The Della Robbia, the dialogue among the Arts in the Renaissance", and for the second time on its current composition in 2022.
Fatucchi-Della Lunga
L’insieme è abilmente costruito come un “fermo immagine” della morte di Gesù, che precede di poco il momento del Compianto dopo la deposizione dalla Croce.
Le varie figure presentano una parziale invetriatura che riguarda le vesti e le aureole, mentre per gli incarnati è usata la sola coloritura.