The Fisher House Crucifix

I had the honour to be asked to create this reconstruction of Cimabue's Arezzo Crucifix, dating from the late 13th century, as a commission for the Catholic Chaplaincy in Cambridge, UK.

The crucifix measures 2m x 1.70m and is painted on a poplar panel. The materials used are authentic for the period and include gold leaf, blue azurite bound in parchment glue and oil-resin glazes of red cochineal and green verdigris, painted over underlayers of pigments hand-ground in egg yolk tempera.

The crucifix was made at the Hamilton Kerr Institute, Cambridge University and was installed in the chapel of Fisher Hall, Cambridge, in 2008, where it is now the focal point of services.

Photo copyright: Hamilton Kerr Institute