Fresco of Jesus’s Crucifixion
The crypts of the cathedral contain one of the oldest surviving frescos in Lithuania painted in the late 14th or early 15th century. It testifies about a clash between the traditions of Eastern and Western Christianity in the newly baptized country. In the center of the fresco there is the crucified Christ, while beneath the cross stand his mother the Blessed Virgin Mary and his beloved disciple St. John the Evangelist. The drawing itself and the Greek letters in Christ’s halo reflect the influence of Byzantine art, though Jesus is affixed to the cross with three nails, which is typical of Catholic tradition.
