“Christ on the Cross with Mary and St. John,” an oil painting on panel created by Rogier van der Weyden between circa 1457 and circa 1460 in Belgium, belongs to the Northern Renaissance art movement. The artwork, measuring 325 x 192 cm, falls under the religious painting genre and is currently located in El Escorial, Madrid, Spain.
The artwork presents a poignant depiction of the crucifixion of Christ, accompanied by the Virgin Mary and St. John. Central to the composition is the crucified Christ, whose body hangs limply on the wooden cross, crowned with thorns and bearing the marks of his suffering with a notable wound on his side. His head inclines towards his left in a state of serene resignation. To Christ’s left, the Virgin Mary is shown in deep sorrow, her head rested against her arm and wrapped in white drapery, embodying maternal grief and purity. On Christ’s right stands St. John, his hands raised towards his chest in a gesture of lamentation and reverence. Both figures are clad in voluminous white robes that contrast dramatically against the brilliant red-tiled background, which symbolizes both the sacred significance and the human agony of the scene. The expressionistic use of color, meticulous attention to detail, and the emotional depth captured in the figures are hallmarks of van der Weyden’s painterly mastery.
