A cross bearing the figure of the crucified Christ, distinguished from a bare cross by the presence of the corpus.
A crucifix is a cross bearing the figure of the crucified Christ. The body is called the corpus. Crucifixes may be monumental, processional, altar-mounted, suspended, freestanding, or worn as small devotional objects.
The representation ranges from triumphant and hieratic early types to intensely naturalistic images emphasizing bodily weight, wounds, and suffering.
Etymology
From Late Latin crucifixus, “fixed to a cross,” from crux, “cross,” + figere, “to fasten.”
Sculptor Notes
The central sculptural problem is gravity. The body must convincingly hang from the arms while the rib cage, pelvis, knees, and feet respond to suspension. The cross is not merely a support: its proportions determine the entire silhouette and emotional register of the work.
References
https://www.metmuseum.org/essays/the-crucifixion-and-passion-of-christ-in-italian-painting; https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/464023