In the first room of the Sainsbury Wing of London's National Gallery, a crucified Christ is agonizing. It is Crucifixion (1627), the first documented commission by Francisco de Zurbarán (1598-1644). It is an intimate and, at the same time, striking image: the drama is above all conveyed by the impenetrable black background that surrounds the figure of Christ, depicted with a care and delicacy that humanize him. This painting caused a sensation when it was presented in Seville, at the Dominican convent of San Pablo el Real: two years later, the Seville City Council invited the artist to establish himself in the city without having to pass the painters' guild examination. Now, this monumental painting opens the major exhibition that London's National Gallery is dedicating to Francisco de Zurbarán, the first in the United Kingdom, from May 2nd to August 23rd.