Christ on the Cross, ’Le coup de lance’
1620
Van Dyck was only about 21 when he painted this intense scene, clearly still under the spell of his master, Peter Paul Rubens. The title 'Le coup de lance' refers to the dramatic moment on the left where a Roman soldier on horseback pierces Christ's side with a lance to ensure he is dead. It's a chaotic, emotional Baroque masterpiece packed with suffering: to the right, a soldier is brutally breaking the legs of one of the thieves with a club, while Mary and John gaze up in agony at the bottom right. The muscular figures and stormy sky create a sense of raw, physical drama that pulls you right into the moment.
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