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Christ on the Cross

German 15th Century

1500

ink

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Renaissance Renaissance Religious

Dominant colour

Christ on the Cross is a 1500 ink by German 15th Century, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: German 15th Century
When & what style?: 1500 · Renaissance
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This image shows a man nailed to a cross, his body twisted in pain. To his left stands a woman in a blue robe clutching her hands, and to his right, a man in green and brown holds a small object. The background is simple, with a few scattered rocks and a gold crossbar at the top. The figures look stiff, like they were carved rather than painted. The colors are flat and bright, with gold leaf used for halos and the cross. This is made using a woodcut technique—you can see the lines that were cut into the wood.