Rubens' painting "Descent from the Cross" - religious asceticism

Rubens' painting "The Descent from the Cross" (1612-1914) is the second of the great altars of the painter, which was painted for the Cathedral of Our Lady in Antwerp.

Historical part

The work consists of three parts. Left - "The Meeting of the Two Sisters", the central one - "The Descent from the Cross" and the right one - "The Presentation". "The removal from the cross" - a picture of Rubens, written in the Baroque style under the influence of the Venetian school. The color scheme, as well as the light and shade resemble the work of the Caravaggio of the Roman period, which initiated realism and from a young age thought about the impermanence of life.

The center panel is 421x311 cm. The two sides are equal in height to each other, and the width is 153 cm. Rubens' painting "The removal from the cross" was written for one of the side chapels of the chapel of the Guild of arquebusiers. This work has never left Flanders. Only Napoleon, having conquered the country in 1794, took him to Paris. After his defeat in 1815, Rubens's painting "The Descent from the Cross" returned home.

Maria and Elizabeth

The left panel describes the meeting between Mary and Elizabeth after the Annunciation, when the elderly and childless Elizabeth was finally pregnant. At this time the baby leaped in the womb of Mary, and Elizabeth was filled with holy spirit and solemnly and enthusiastically informed the Mother of God of her future. There is a suggestion that Rembrandt's model of Mary was the young pregnant wife Isabella Brandt. From left to right is the life of the Savior - Rubens's painting "The Descent from the Cross."

Center of composition

There are nine figures on the central panel. Composite, they are arranged diagonally. This gives dynamism to action. Holding the cloth with your hands and teeth, the workers who are at the top carefully and carefully remove the body of Christ from the stairs. St. John in red robes stands with one foot on the stairs. His whole figure bent to support the body in the most energetic way. This is how "Ruben's removal from the cross" depicts. One of the Savior's feet, with bloodstained traces of the nail, easily touches the beautiful shoulder of the Magdalene with golden hair. The body of Christ with a head that fell on his shoulder, which is not disfigured by death, gives the most accurate idea of the bitter end of life. About this tells the picture of Rubens "Withdrawal from the Cross." The body of the Savior slides effortlessly through the veil, which everyone carefully maintains. Joseph of Aramaic and Nicodemus, located on the sides of the stairs, together with the workers form a square. Our Lady in blue mourning clothes extends her arms to the Son. In the right corner near the stairs there is a copper basin, where nails, a crown of thorns and Crucifixion are collected in gore. Daylight goes out. A crowd of curious people had already dispersed.

Left panel - Sretenie

It depicts the former Roman Rep, and now St. Christopher, the patron of the Order of the Arquebusiers, who ordered a painting that meets the Holy Infant to carry it across the river. The child was very hard, as he carried all the burdens of the world. Later, Christ baptized the giant Repeve under the name Christopher.

"The removal from the cross" - a picture of Rubens, in which he willingly or unwittingly showed his technical prowess in all its splendor. Rubens created the image of Christ, revealing it in its entirety. The painter has become not only a great secular but also the greatest religious artist. Color, form and composition gave an explanation, interpreted the faith of his contemporaries. On this we finish the description of Peter Rubens's painting "The Descent from the Cross."