Crucifix

The Crucifix from the church of the Misericordia in San Casciano Val di Pesa, first discovered and attributed to Simone in the early years of the 20th century, is undoubtedly contemporary to the paintings described above. Although there is no documentation at all regarding it, some scholars have suggested that it is the Crucifix that Simone painted in 1321 for the Chapel of the Nine in Siena. This theory is not very convincing, however, because if we examine our sources carefully it becomes clear that what Simone painted in that chapel was a fresco and not a panel - a fresco which was then destroyed by a fire. The closest analogies that this Crucifix presents are with the Pisa and Boston polyptychs.

Suggested listening (streaming mp3, 9 minutes):

13th-century Organum