Artwork
Christ on the cross

Christ on the cross is an oil painting by the Northern Renaissance artist Quinten Metsys. It is held in the collection of the Alte Pinakothek.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
As a work of religious art, the image focuses exclusively on the main subject of Christ's execution, a theme foundational to Christian iconography.
Quinten Metsys's 1535 oil painting depicts the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, presenting the central figure of the Passion narrative on the cross. As a work of religious art, the image focuses exclusively on the main subject of Christ's execution, a theme foundational to Christian iconography. The composition serves to visualize the sacrificial death of Jesus, emphasizing the solemnity and theological significance of the event without additional narrative elements.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1535, this religious painting by Quinten Metsys utilizes oil paint applied to an oak panel support. The work measures 96.9 cm in height and 70.9 cm in width. Stylistically, the composition focuses on the crucifixion of Jesus Christ as its primary subject matter.
The piece is classified as a painting within the religious genre and is currently held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections at the Alte Pinakothek.
History & Provenance
Quinten Metsys executed the oil painting Christ on the Cross in 1535. The work was created on an oak panel and depicts the crucifixion of Jesus Christ as a religious subject. The painting currently resides within the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections, where it is housed at the Alte Pinakothek in Munich.
No specific details regarding the original commission or the intermediate ownership chain prior to its acquisition by the Bavarian state are provided in the available records.
The painting Christ on the cross by Quinten Metsys, dated 1535, is housed in the Alte Pinakothek within the Bavarian State Painting Collections, as recorded in its inventory and exhibition history.
The work was created in 1535 on oak panel using oil paint and depicts the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. It has been part of the Alte Pinakothek's collection since its acquisition and is classified under religious art, specifically within the genre of crucifixion scenes.
Context
Quinten Metsys painted the work in 1535, depicting the crucifixion of Jesus in a religious composition now housed in the Alte Pinakothek in Munich. The painting, created in oil on oak panel, measures 96.9 cm in height and 70.9 cm in width. It belongs to the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections and is cataloged as part of the corpus of religious art from the early 16th century.
Scholarship situates the work within Metsys' broader oeuvre as a devotional piece reflecting Antwerp school practices of the time, though specific critical reception history is not detailed in the available sources.
Overview
Created in 1535, Christ on the Cross is an oil painting by the Flemish artist Quinten Metsys. Executed during his Antwerp period, the work exemplifies the Northern Renaissance and is presently part of the Alte Pinakothek’s collection.
Artist & collection
Artist
Quentin Matsys (UK: MAT-sysse, US: MAHT-sysse; also Massys or Metsys; Flemish: Quinten Matsijs; 1466–1530) was a Flemish painter in the Early Netherlandish tradition.


















