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The Elevation of the Cross
Peter Paul Rubens · Baroque & Dutch Golden Age
- Artist
- Peter Paul Rubens (1577–1640)
- Date
- 1610–1611
- Dimensions
- 460 x 340 cm (central panel)
- Medium
- Oil on panel
- Location
- Cathedral of Our Lady, Antwerp, Belgium
The Elevation of the Cross is a huge triptych painted by Rubens soon after his return from Italy to Antwerp. Its central panel shows a team of muscular men straining to haul upright the cross on which Christ has just been nailed.
A closer look
The composition is built on a powerful diagonal that cuts across the panel, as the cross is pushed, pulled and levered into place. The executioners' bodies, inspired by the sculptures of Michelangelo and ancient Rome that Rubens had studied, twist with physical effort, while Christ, pale and luminous, gazes upwards in calm acceptance. A dog barks in the lower corner. On the side panels, the mourners, including the Virgin and Saint John, look on from the left, and Roman soldiers supervise the crucifixion of the two thieves on the right.
More by Peter Paul Rubens
In this gallery
The Union of Earth and Water
Medici Cycle: The Exchange of Princesses of France and Spain
The Three Graces
The Garden of Love