Image: Romanesque Crucifix, 1187: St. John the Evangelist

St. John the Evangelist at the crucifixion. Detail of brightly painted Romanesque crucifix, signed in 1187 by Alberto Sotio - the earliest Umbrian painter known by name. The scene includes miniature portraits of the Virgin Mary and St. John; medieval theology is represented by the blood from Christ's wounds running into the skull of Adam at the bottom. Spoleto Cathedral, Umbria, Italy. Spoleto Cathedral, Spoleto, Italy.