The Crucifixion

In the pictureAt the center of the gold ground, Christ hangs on the cross while angels fly around him catching his blood. Below are women supporting the fainting Mary, John in red, and crowds of people, and in the vertical bands on either side a single saint is painted in each small compartment. At the top is a triangular peak with a pelican.

BackgroundAndrea di Cione, known as Orcagna, was the painter, sculptor and architect who led Florentine painting after Giotto. At 1.4 meters tall, this panel is the largest of the early Italian paintings in the Lehman Collection, and it probably stood above the altar of a church. Its composition, bringing together the saints' compartments on the sides and the pelican at the top (a symbol of Christ, said to feed its young with its own blood) in a single picture, shows the format of the 14th-century altarpiece well.

Puzzle tipWith so many elements, it suits a high piece count. Set the frame first with the vertical straight line of the cross and the compartment borders of the side bands, and group the figures below by the color of their clothes (red, blue and white). Fill the gold pieces starting with the ones that catch an angel or a halo. You can enjoy it at up to 300 pieces.