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The Elevation of the Cross
Triptych depicting the scene of raising the Cross with the crucified Christ. The painting shows the tension of many muscular men trying to lift the heavy cross, with Jesus shown in a dynamic diagonal arrangement emphasizing movement and drama. The work is strongly inspired by the art of Michelangelo, Caravaggio, and Tintoretto. It was commissioned after Rubens' return from Italy to express support for Catholicism after the split with Protestantism. The painting was taken by Napoleon but returned to the cathedral at the end of the 19th century.
Portrait of the Creator
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Artist
Peter Paul Rubens
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Date of birth and death
28 June 1577 – 30 May 1640
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Natinality
Flemish
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Style
Flemish Baroque painting, dynamic compositions, vivid coloring, sensuous forms
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Significant works
The Raising of the Cross, The Descent from the Cross, The Night Watch, The Fall of Man, Marie de’ Medici cycle, The Three Graces
Information about the work
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Year:
1610
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Execution technique:
oil on canvas
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Location:
Cathedral of Our Lady, Antwerp, Belgium (private collection)
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Theme:
baroque, religious painting, drama, crucifixion, passion of Christ, Catholicism
Internal Narrative and Creative Framework
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Inner Narrative
The painting shows the struggle between human strength and divine sacrifice. The composition and chiaroscuro emphasize the tension between the effort to raise the Cross and the suffering of Christ, symbolizing the struggle between death and salvation.
The key to interpreting the work
Interpretation should consider the influences of the Italian Renaissance, use of strong chiaroscuro, and the painting's function in the context of the Counter-Reformation.See other works by this artist
Copy of Battle of Anghiari, the lost painting by Leonardo da Vinci
- Artist: Peter Paul Rubens
- Year: 1603
Madonna and Child with the Donors Alexandre Goubeau and his wife Anne Antoni
- Artist: Peter Paul Rubens
- Year: 1604
