Artwork
The Crucifixion with Saints and a Donor
The Crucifixion with Saints and a Donor is an oil painting by the Northern Renaissance artist Joos van Cleve. It dates from 1520 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The composition includes the Virgin Mary and at least one other saint standing near the cross, adhering to traditional iconography of the Passion.
Created in 1520 by Joos van Cleve, this oil painting on panel depicts the Crucifixion of Christ as its central religious subject. The composition includes the Virgin Mary and at least one other saint standing near the cross, adhering to traditional iconography of the Passion. A specific donor, represented as a man, is also present within the scene, a common device in Northern Renaissance devotional art to signify the patron's piety and personal connection to the sacred event.
The inclusion of a skull at the base of the cross serves as a potent symbol of Golgotha and human mortality, reinforcing the theological meaning of Christ's sacrifice. The work functions as an object of contemplation, merging the historical narrative of the crucifixion with the contemporary presence of the donor to facilitate spiritual engagement.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1520 by Joos van Cleve, this religious work is an oil painting created on a wooden panel support. The composition depicts a crucifixion scene featuring Christ, the Virgin Mary, various saints, and a donor figure, with a skull included as a symbolic element. Physically, the artwork measures approximately 100 to 101 centimeters in height and spans between 32.7 and 140 centimeters in width, though specific records vary slightly on these exact dimensions.
The piece utilizes oil paint as its primary medium to render the figures and narrative details characteristic of early sixteenth-century Netherlandish religious art. No specific information regarding the current condition of the panel or the artist's specific handling techniques beyond the medium selection is provided in the available records.
History & Provenance
The painting The Crucifixion with Saints and a Donor, executed by Joos van Cleve in 1520 using oil on panel, is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection (collection: Metropolitan Museum of Art, Julius Böhler AG). Its current location is the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The work was previously owned by George Blumenthal and Adolph Thiem, but the sources do not provide an inventory or accession number. No exhibition history is documented in the referenced records.
Overview
This oil painting, titled The Crucifixion with Saints and a Donor, depicts the central Christian narrative of Christ's death on the cross. The composition features Jesus prominently at its core, surrounded by a group of six figures. A detailed landscape with hills, trees, and a distant town provides the setting, all beneath a dynamically clouded sky. The work is presented within an ornate gold frame, emphasizing its significance.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Joos van Cleve (; also Joos van der Beke; c. 1485–1490 – 1540/1541) was a leading painter active in Antwerp from his arrival there around 1511 until his death in 1540 or 1541. Within Dutch and Flemish Renaissance…
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