The figures of the Virgin Mary and St John raise their right hands to their faces in a gesture of mourning. A scratched inscription on the cross arm identifies Christ. The three figures appear barely to be contained by the borders and Christ's halo actually breaks the frame, creating a sense of dramatic tension.
The composition is neatly divided by the 'T' shape of the figure of the crucified Christ. The symmetry, however, is broken by His body and head which slump to the side and by Mary, who reaches out her left hand to touch Christ's body. This tender gesture does not appear on any other Crucifixion scene and lends a personal immediacy to the standard grouping of this depiction.
