1666
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Christ Holding a Chalice and Cross (recto); Resurrected Christ and Lamb of God (verso) is a 1666 by Alonso Cano, a Baroque work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
You see two sides of one drawing: on the front, Christ holds a cross and a chalice; on the back, he stands with a lamb while John the Baptist points. This was likely a study for an altarpiece—quick sketches to plan a larger work. Cano worked for the Catholic Church in Spain, where art often taught faith through clear symbols. The chalice and lamb aren’t just details; they’re shorthand for sacrifice and salvation, meant to be read at a glance. Look up *chiaroscuro* to see how light and shadow make these figures feel alive.
In this drawing, a triumphant Christ holds the cross signifying his resurrection while offering a chalice as a symbol of his blood and sacrifice. In the background, Saint John the Baptist points, identifying Christ as the Lamb (or sacrifice) of God. Alonso Cano was an artist in Baroque Spain who made works primarily in the service of the Catholic Church and Spanish monarchs. Though no related painting is known, the composition is appropriate for an altarpiece, meant as a visual aid to clarify the meaning of the Catholic Mass.
The disk rising above the chalice in Christ's hand represents the eucharistic wafer. Designs were impressed onto these disks of unleavened bread using special wafer irons, some of which have made it into museum collections.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Alonso Cano (1601–1667) was an artist, born in Granada.
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