Wood Grain of the Cross: Reversal in Giampietrino
Multispectral images reveal, beneath the overpaint, certain wood-grain lines of the cross around Christ’s head, now barely visible. This area was partly overpainted, very probably when the halo was added.
The Painting: Orientation of the Wood Grain
In The Painting, in the upper part of the cross, the orientation of the wood grain forms a shape that can be read as a triangular “cap” above Christ’s head.
Giampietrino: Orientation of the Wood Grain
In the versions attributed to Giampietrino (London, Budapest, Turin, Vienna and Milan), this pattern appears in mirror image: the “cap” is reversed in relation to The Painting.
Conclusion
The study of the wood grain of the cross therefore reveals a reversal of the pattern between The Painting and the versions attributed to Giampietrino. This reversal constitutes an additional material indication in favour of a distinct transfer process.