Descente de Croix (Descent from the Cross)
1762
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1762
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This etching shows a dramatic scene of a body being taken down from a cross. The central figure is limp, surrounded by people in loose robes—some reaching up, others kneeling in grief. A ladder leans against the cross, and a soldier slumps in the foreground. The background is rough stone, with a dark sky pressing in. Notice how the artist uses deep shadows and dramatic lines to pull your eyes to the center. The brown tones make the scene feel heavy and urgent. Want to know more? Look up etching, drypoint, aquatint.
