PERUGIA – A new exhibition is being held at the National Gallery of Umbria from Oct. 30 to Jan. 29, displaying a series of historic Umbrian masterpieces which trace the development of the ‘painted Cross’.

 Composed between the end of the 12^th and the first half of the 13^th century, the show follows the iconographic progression of the crucifix and Saint Francis of Assisi, often represented on foot by the Cross in adoration of Christ.

 Curated by Marco Pierini, director of the gallery, the exposition presents nine masterpieces in total, offering a panoramic of the religious, liturgical and artistic particularities of such artefacts.

 The exhibition timelines the evolution of depictions of the Cross throughout the western world, from the Giunta Pisano model – later adapted by Cimabue (the great Florentine painter) – to those of Giottesque style.

 A catalogue of helpful information and contextual essays, accompanied by an introduction by Mauro Gambetti – the new custodian of the Sacred Convent of Assisi -- is available as an aid, complete with an ample schedule of the various works.

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