Le Christ en croix avec la Vierge et saint Jean
ca. 1624-25
Imagine traveling all the way to Rome in the 1600s just to learn how to paint like a rockstar—that's what Hendrick ter Brugghen did, bringing Caravaggio's dramatic lighting back to the Netherlands. In this scene, Christ's pale, elongated body hangs starkly against the darkness, looking almost ghostly, while blood drips from his wounds. The Virgin Mary and Saint John are caught in a moment of pure shock and grief, their faces illuminated as if by a spotlight. At the very bottom, a skull and bones remind us that this is Golgotha, literally the 'Place of the Skull,' adding a grim, realistic touch to the spiritual event.
- Technique
- Oil on canvas
- Dimensions
- 100.3 x 68.6 cm
Location: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
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