Barnaba da Modena; The Crucifixion; ca. 1370; tempera on panel; 23 1/2 in. x 14 3/8 in. (59.69 cm x 36.51 cm); Virgin Mary and St. John here lament Christ's death on the cross with St. Catherine of Alexandria and St. Christopher. The pelican feeding his young with his own blood functions as a symbol of Christ's passion. Barnaba da Modena was active between 1381 and 1383 in Genoa and Pisa; two of the most prosperous Italian cities of the period. He was trained in Modena in a style steeped in the more formulaic Byzantine tradition of icon painting; rather than the new; observation-based style that developed in Florence at the same time. This painting is attributed to a follower of Barnaba; since its composition reflects Barnaba's preferences; but the execution; especially of the body of Christ; suggests another hand.