Descent from the Cross

About this work

This black-and-white print shows a chaotic scene of a body being lowered from a cross. One man kneels, holding the limp arm of the figure on the cross, while another stands above, pulling the body down with ropes. The background is packed with crumbling walls, a ladder, and scattered skulls—some half-buried in the ground. Notice how the artist uses sharp lines and deep shadows to make the figures look dramatic and tense. The skulls in the background might hint at death’s presence in the scene. Next, look up chiaroscuro to see how this technique creates such strong contrasts.