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The Descent from the Cross

Van der Weyden compresses the lowering of Christ from the cross into a shallow, stage-like space, the figures' grief echoing in a chain of swooning bodies. The Virgin's collapse mirrors her son's, linking their suffering. Its emotional intensity and crisp detail mark the height of Early Netherlandish painting.

The Descent from the Cross

Rogier van der Weyden

  • Datec. 1435
  • MovementNorthern Renaissance
  • WhereMuseo del Prado, Madrid
  • RegionIberia