The Decent From the Cross (Middle Panel)- Rubens

The Decent From the Cross by Peter Rubens was commissioned in 1611 by the Confraternity of the Arquebusiers, whose Patron Saint was St. Christopher. This tryptic alter piece is essentially considered Baroque but has subtle hints of the Ventitian tradition. The 3 panels depict "The visitation (left panel), The "Desention From the Cross" (middle panel), and The Presentation of Jesus at the Temple (right panel). For this blog I chose to focus on the middle panel depicting  "Decention From the Cross", something about this particular panel drawls my eye to it. At first I looked at this piece and my first thoughts were that it was a beautiful oil painting, has a very strong pyramidal composition with a strong diagonal breaking the piece is 2 (by a white blanket), amazingly realistic forms of the people and amazing detailed emotions on the figures faces. But as I looked around I noticed subtle objects around the 9 figures and wondered what exactly they represented.

As I researched this piece I found that "...The principal subject is composed of nine figures: at the top of two ladders, workers are lowering the body of Christ with the aid of a shroud which one of them holds in his teeth, the other in the left hand. Bracing themselves firmly against the arms of the cross, each bends forward to guide the Christ with the hand that is left free while St. John, with one foot on the ladder and his back arched, supports him most energetically. One of Savior’s feet comes to rest on the beautiful shoulder of the Magdalene, grazing her golden hair. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, placed midway on ladders so as to face each other, form, together with the two workmen in the upper part of the picture, a square of vigorous but plebeian figures. The Virgin, standing at the foot of the sacrificial tree, extends her arms towards her Son; Salome (properly, Mary Cleophas), kneeling, gathers up her robe. On the ground are seen the superscription and a copper basin where the crown of thorns and the nails of the Crucifixion lie in the congealed blood. The crowd, always elated by the spectacle of torture, has departed from Golgotha as daylight fades. After the sacrifice of Calvary, as it is called in Scripture, the sad, dark sky is crossed by a light that illumines the shoulders of the workmen..." 

All of the elements in this panel has a wonderful sense of movement, like if you keep looking at the piece that people will keep lowering him, which is just amazing. Rubens eye for detail is unparalleled in my eyes he seems to be becoming one of if not my favorite artists from this time period.