ANALYSIS of the Descent of Christ by RUBENS

Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640) was a Flemish painter who achieved great success throughout the seventeenth century, focusing his activity in painting, although he also carried out designs for sculptures, tapestries, decorative objects and stamp. A prolific, versatile work with a broad theme in which both mythological and religious themes abound, as well as landscapes and portraits. A great painting, with a great command of technique and sensitivity, as well as knowing how to capture the psychology of the characters.

In this unPROFESOR.com article we offer you a analysis of Descent of Christ by Rubens, one of the best known works of this great Baroque painter.

Index

1. Description of the Descent of Christ by Rubens
2. History of the work Descent of Christ
3. Analysis of the Descent of Christ by Rubens

The Descent of Christ or from the cross it is an oil painted around the year 1612, it is estimated that between 1611 and 1614. It is preserved in the Cathedral of Antwerp, in Belgium and is part of a triptych in which the Visitation of the Virgin and the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple are also represented.

An oil painting on panel that has dimensions of 420 x 310 cm, central panel and 410 x 150 cm the lateral ones, and is considered to belong to the Flamenco baroque.

The subject is religious and represents one of the most dramatic moments of the death of Jesus Christ: the descent from the Cross.

The work is divided as follows:

• The left panel represents the Visitation episode, moment of the visit of Isabel, María's cousin, to María.
• In the one on the right he presents Newborn christ, while in the central we are shown the moment of descent.
• When closing the triptych we can admire the image of Saint Christopher carrying the Child on the other bank of a river, showing an ancient medieval legend.

A approach full of drama by presenting us with two moments from the beginning of the life of Jesus Christ and the sad and hard end of him.

The Descent shows us Christ being unlocked and lowered slowly from the cross, very carefully. The body is supported by Nicodemus and by Saint John, on the left Mary Magdalene and Mary Cleopas are kneeling and Magdalene holding the foot of Jesus.

Rubens also portrays Joseph of Arimathea with a beard, together with a grieving Virgin Mary. A character that, and unlike the traditional representation of the fainted Virgin in Italian and Flemish paintings, places it at the foot of the cross, as recorded in the Gospels. At the top of the cross two other characters appear in foreshortening. The background is a twilight landscape.

Image: Wikiart

Is Rubens work he was a commissioned by the brotherhood of arquebusiers, whose patron was Saint Christopher, to adorn his chapel in the cathedral of Antwerp.

The painter received the commission on September 7, 1611 and was asked to represent some episodes from the life of Jesus, specifically a triptych in which the descent would occupy the central panel. One of his promoters was Nicolas Rockox, brother who appears represented among the group of assistants to the Presentation to the temple.

The subject is also related to the own history of the patron of the guild. A) Yes, Saint Christopher is one of the characters that bears Christ and is represented both in the scene of the outer doors of the triptych, also evoking him in the Visitation and in the Presentation.

The composition has its main resource for organizing space on the diagonal. Small dimensions in which a scene is organized in which the body of Christ and a white linen cloth constitute one of the main diagonals. A group that contracts with the red of the tunic of San Juan and with the ladder. Other diagonals are marked by arms and legs, while the foreshortenings and curves of the bodies add dynamism to the composition.

On the other hand, Rubens prints solidity and robustness to painting by treating bodies in the style of classical sculpture, recalling the works of Michelangelo, especially the Laocoon. It also highlights the typical detail of Flemish painting. Lighting has Caravaggio influence creating chiaroscuro and enhancing pathos and compositional tension.

Finally, the color also used for generate contrasts to produce drama. Thus, Rubens uses primary colors such as red, blue, green, in addition to secondary colors such as orange, violet, in addition to gray and brown tones. The colors are cold in the dark area and warm in the illuminated area, contrasting the white of the tunic with the intense red of the clothing of San Juan.

The light highlights the body of Jesus Christ, the white and pale tones of his skin, while the rest of the characters are in semi-darkness, their faces lighting up thanks to the light that seems to emanate from the body of the crucified.

The resources to print movement they are the lines, the gestures and the expressions, in addition to the chiaroscuro. Some resources that try to move the viewer in line with the ideas of the Counter-Reformation.

If you want to read more articles similar to Rubens' Descent of Christ: Analysis, we recommend that you enter our category of History.

• House of Art: Rubens as Collector, cat. exp., Antwerp, Rubenshuis and Rubenia-num, 2004.
• Baudouin, Frans, Pietro Paulo Rubens, Antwerp, Mercatorfonds, 1977.
• Belkin, Khristin Lohse, Rubens, London: Phaidon Press, 1998.
• Charles, Victoria. Peter Paul Rubens. Parkstone International, 2011.
• Díaz Padrón, Matías, The century of Rubens in the Prado Museum. Razo-nated catalog of 17th century Flemish painting, Barcelona, ​​Editorial Prensa Ibérica, and Madrid, Prado Museum, 1995.
• Garrido Abenza, Cristina. Rubens and Spain. A flamenco in the Court of the Austrias. His artistic and diplomatic relations at the service of Felipe III and Felipe IV. 2017.
• Jaffé, Michael, Rubens. Complete catalog, Milan, Rizzoli, 1989.
• Mosquera, Yeison Estiben Riascos. Descendants: A Series of 12 Images. Transition, 2019, vol. 127, no 1, p. 241-250.
• Muller, Jeffrey M., Rubens: The Artist as Collector, Princeton, Princeton University Press, 1989.
• Rubens. Titian Copyist, cat. exp., Madrid, Prado Museum, 1987.
• Rubens. Drawings for the equestrian portrait of the Duke of Lerma, cat. exp., Madrid, Museo Nacional del Prado, 2001.
• Varshavskaya, Maria; Yegorova, Xenia. Peter Paul Rubens. Parkstone Interna-tional, 2019.
• Velázquez, Rubens and Van Dyck: Court Painters of the 17th Century, cat. exp., Madrid, Museo Nacional del Prado, El Viso, 1999
• • Vergara, Alejandro, The three Graces of Rubens, Madrid, TF Editores, 2001.