The Crucifixion, 1340s, Tempera and gold leaf on wood, Overall 16 1/2 x 12 1/2 in. (41. 9 x 31. 8 cm) ; painted surface 14 1/8 x 10 1/8 in. (35. 9 x 25. 7 cm), Paintings, Pietro Lorenzetti (Italian, active Siena 1320?44), Pietro Lorenzetti was one of the great innovators of fourteenth-century Italian painting. In this work, he imbued the familiar biblical narrative with a new sense of pathos and dramatic intensity. He preceded Van Eyck in including such elements?the piercing of Christ?s side with a spear and breaking the legs of the thieves, the Virgin swooning into the arms of her companions, the animated discussion of the horsemen?that would ensure an emotional response from the viewer