The Crucifixion with Saints

This panel comes from the Benedictine abbey at Liesborn in Westphalia. The scene may have been inspired by the central panel of the altarpiece made by the same artist for the abbey’s high altar, fragments of which are also in the National Gallery’s collection.Its horizontal shape suggests that it might have been made as a predella (the lowest part of an altarpiece). The crucified Christ is flanked on either side by saints. On the left are Saints Scholastica, Mary Magdalene and Anne, and finally, closest to Christ, the Virgin Mary. Saint Anne cradles a miniature Virgin and Christ Child in her arms in reference to her conception of Mary.Saint John the Evangelist stands immediately to the right of Christ. He is accompanied by Saints Andrew, Benedict and Agnes. Saint Andrew carries the X-shaped cross upon which he was martyred, and Saint Agnes is accompanied by a lamb, her attribute (her name means ‘lamb’ in Latin).