Fra Angelico’s “The Crucifixion” will stay in the UK and will soon be available for public viewing. The Ashmolean Museum of the University of Oxford has closed the record-setting deal for over €5 million to ensure the world-famous painting by the notable Italian Renaissance painter won’t be sold abroad. The event has ended a long-term story of the artwork’s planned sale to a private collector, which started in 2023.
About Fra Angelico’s “The Crucifixion”
There are only a few works by Fra Angelico remaining to date, and “The Crucifixion with the Virgin, Saint John the Evangelist and the Magdalen” is one of them. It is an early work by the master, presumably created for private devotion. It depicts the scene of Jesus Christ’s crucifixion, with the lamenting Virgin Mary next to the cross. The work also features John the Evangelist and Mary Magdalene, each with a unique expression and pose, which gives the painting a feeling of emotion and movement.
“The Crucifixion” is one of Fra Angelico’s earliest works with a unique composition, which was created in the 1420s. Experts say that Fra Angelico was inspired by Lorenzo Ghiberti’s bronze doors in the Baptistry of Florence. The painting thus comes with striking spatial effects and an emphasis on human emotion – signature elements of the artist’s works.
For the last 200 years, “The Crucifixion” has been kept in a private collection in the UK.
The Purchase of “The Crucifixion” by the Ashmolean Museum
The Ashmolean Museum is Oxford University’s Museum of Art and Archeology, founded in 1683. In 2023 when Fra Angelico’s “The Crucifixion” was at risk of leaving the country after being sold to an overseas collector, the Museum contested that decision by underlining the exceptional cultural significance of the masterpiece for the UK. The UK Culture Secretary satisfied the request by granting a nine-month deferral for the sale, starting from January 2024. During that period, the Ashmolean Museum launched a vast fundraising campaign to pay for the artwork and prevent its sale overseas. The deal was set at £4.5 million, which equals €5.4 million.
As a result of the successful deal, “The Crucifixion” joined the Ashmolean Museum’s permanent collection and will soon be displayed for a broad audience. It is not on public display at present, but as soon as the date is negotiated, it will be available for viewing at the Ashmolean’s Early Italian Art Gallery. The preliminary schedule for the painting’s display is early December.
