Artwork
The Descent from the Cross
The Descent from the Cross is an oil painting by the Northern Renaissance artist Michiel Coxie. It dates from 1501 and is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts the biblical moment when Christ's body is taken down from the cross, the central episode of the Descent from the Cross.
The painting depicts the biblical moment when Christ's body is taken down from the cross, the central episode of the Descent from the Cross. As a religious work by Michiel Coxie situated in the Early Netherlandish tradition, it emphasizes the physicality of Christ's sacrifice and invites reflection on mortality and redemption. The composition centers on the fallen Savior, underscoring the themes of grief and hope inherent to this subject.
Technique & Style
Michiel Coxie's The Descent from the Cross is executed in oil paint applied to a wooden panel support. Created in 1501, the work adheres to the Early Netherlandish painting movement, characterized by its religious subject matter and detailed naturalism. The painting measures 200 cm in height and 263 cm in width, presenting a substantial scale for its genre.
The medium of oil on panel allowed for the rich coloration and fine detail typical of the period's devotional art.
History & Provenance
The Descent from the Cross was painted by Michiel Coxie in 1501 as an oil on panel work, originally created for devotional purposes within a religious context. It entered the collection of the Museo del Prado, where it remains on display, reflecting a continuous ownership chain from its creation to the present. The work's dating is anchored to the year 1501, as documented in its creation history, and its dimensions of 200 cm by 263 cm are specified in the source material.
The Descent from the Cross by Michiel Coxie is held in the permanent collection of the Museo del Prado in Madrid, where it has been catalogued as part of the museum's holdings of Early Netherlandish painting. The work is an oil-on-panel painting, measuring 200 cm in height by 263 cm in width, and is recorded in Wikidata under the identifier associated with the Prado's records for the artist.
No specific exhibition history outside the museum's collection is documented in the available sources, and no accession number is provided.
Overview
The Descent from the Cross is a 16th-century oil painting by Michiel Coxie the Elder, a Flemish artist known for his work in various mediums, including altarpieces and stained glass.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Michiel Coxie the Elder, Michiel Coxcie the Elder or Michiel van Coxcie, Latinised name Coxius (1499 – 3 March 1592), was a Flemish painter of altarpieces and portraits, a draughtsman and a designer of stained-glass windows, tapestries and…
