The Crucified Christ between the Virgin and Saint John the Evangelist

In the pictureInside a gilded frame with columns and a pointed top hangs Christ on the cross; on the left Mary, in a blue mantle, clasps her hands, and on the right John, in pink, raises his head to look up. Above the cross is a red title board, and the background is gold leaf. The frame is original.

BackgroundMary and John beneath the cross have been the most common devotional image since the Middle Ages, hung in monastery rooms or at side altars in churches. Lorenzo Monaco painted this subject several times, and because this panel survives with its period frame, it can be seen just as it originally looked. The long curve of Mary's mantle flowing downward is characteristic of his work.

Puzzle tipSet up the outer frame first with the pieces of the gilded frame's columns and pointed top. Fit the straight lines of the cross, the blue mantle and the pink robe separately, and fill in the gold ground starting with the pieces touching the halos and the cross. 100 pieces is about right.