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| JIM YARBROUGH |
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Commissioned recreation of the San Damiano Crucifix of Assisi |
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In the fall of 2006, Jim was commisioned by the Catholic Church of Saint Mary Magdalene in Sharpsburg, Georgia, to recreate the San Damiano crucifix for the newly built church's altarpiece.
The original crucifix was made as early as the 9th Century, and still can be seen at the Poor Clares' convent in Assisi. It was of painted wood, about six feel high, and sustained some sort of damage to the base, obscuring the figures beneath Jesus' feet.
Because the budget did not include a trip to Assisi to see the cross and study the details, Jim was obliged to use a reproduction, so he got the largest available one from a Catholic poster house.
Here is a reproduction of the original crucifix. |
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The preliminary drawing |
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Jim made this drawing of the crucifix, and turned it over to Mortensen Woodwork in East Point, Georgia. They manufactured the cross at twelve feet high and nine feet across, going by a fairly good reproduction. The crucifix was made in three pieces. You can see the join line in some of the pictures, below. The three pieces are too heavy for one person to lift, and the entire cross would not fit in Jim's studio, so he had it delivered to his house, where a space was prepared for it. Jim would live with the cross for several months while paintng it. |
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Sketching out the figures |
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There are 33 figures on the original crucfix, and because of the quality of teh reproduction it is quite difficult to make out many of the details. Jim used several sources to find out about things like angels' wings, lettered notations, and the curlicues adorning the edges of the cross. |
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A few extras |
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The church's pastor and friends came to visit Jim halfway through the painting, ad were very pleased with the progress. they madea few suggestions, like the inclusion of a portrait of the diocese's archbishop, and changing the cock's tail to resemble a church organization's logo. He also painted Mary Magdalene to look very like the church secretary, and included a portrait of himself in his painting gear at the foot of the cross. |
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Halfway through the painting |
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Jim at work |
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At some point near the middle of the process, Jim's dog Sebastion started feeling very drawn to the crucifix. So he came out from his usual place under the bed and started sleeping snuggled up against the niches in the cross. He never walked across it, or got on the cross itself, but for several weeks he was devoted to the images, day and night. |
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The finished crucifix |
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Finally the work was done, the lettering and curlicues were finished, the gold leaf on Christ's halo was applied, and the sides were gilded. |
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The cross in place |
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Here is the crucifix, installed in Saint Mary Magdalene Catholic Church. The curch was still being finished when it was instaled in January of 2007, and was dedicated in early February. |
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Home, Tempera, Venetian Carnival Series,
Twinhouse Gallery, 2021 Gallery Rodin,
My artblog, Contact Jim |
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