The Descent from the Cross (Rubens)

The Descent from the Cross is a Baroque altarpiece painted by Peter Paul Rubens between 1611 and 1614. It is also known as The Deposition. The painting depicts the removal of the body of Jesus Christ from the cross after his crucifixion, a scene central to Christian theology and a common subject in religious art.

Commissioned for the Cathedral of Our Lady in Antwerp, Belgium, the painting is considered one of Rubens' masterpieces and a key work in the development of Baroque art. Its dramatic composition, dynamic figures, and vibrant color palette exemplify the Baroque style.

The central panel of the triptych depicts the limp body of Christ being carefully lowered from the cross by several figures, including Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea. Mary Magdalene and the Virgin Mary are depicted below, grieving. The side panels depict the Visitation and the Presentation in the Temple, linking the events of Christ's life.

The work is notable for its powerful emotional impact, its masterful use of light and shadow (chiaroscuro), and the anatomical accuracy of its figures. Rubens's influence from Italian Renaissance masters, particularly Michelangelo and Caravaggio, is evident in the painting's dramatic realism and monumental scale. It remains a significant and highly venerated artwork within the Cathedral of Our Lady.