1587
oil
canvas
From the collection of National Museum of Western Art
Dominant colour
Christ on the Cross is a 1587 oil by El Greco, a Mannerism work, depicting Jesus Christ, held at National Museum of Western Art.
This painting shows a man nailed to a cross, with his arms stretched out to the sides. He is wearing a loincloth and has a crown of thorns on his head. The background is dark, with some clouds and a few bones and skulls at the base of the cross. The man's body is muscular and contorted in a way that suggests pain and suffering. His face is serene, but his eyes are closed as if he is looking inward. The overall mood of the painting is one of solemnity and reverence. If you're interested in learning more about this style of painting, you might want to explore the work of El Greco, a master of chiaroscuro and impasto techniques.
Doménikos Theotokópoulos was born in 1541 in Candia (modern Heraklion), the capital of Venetian-ruled Crete, where he was trained in the post-Byzantine tradition of icon painting.
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