The Descent from the Cross Poster

Rubens’s Descent from the Cross (1600–1602) is a large-scale altarpiece that revolutionised traditional depictions of Christ’s removal from the cross. The composition emphasizes the solemnity and gravity of the event, focusing on the physical and spiritual weight of Christ’s body as he is gently lowered. A kneeling woman in the foreground symbolises the duchess who commissioned the work, embodying the reception of Christ’s body akin to the Eucharist. The painting is stylistically linked to Rubens’s Elevation of the Cross (c. 1600–1602), sharing a similar perspective on the mourning figures. Rubens was influenced by Michelangelo’s Pietà Bandini and possibly engravings by Cherubino Alberti, but he created a new, dynamic composition that highlights both physicality and emotional intensity.