Artwork
Crucifixion of Christ
Crucifixion of Christ is an oil painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Wolf Huber. It dates from 1522 and is held in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The depiction serves to illustrate the narrative of Christ's suffering and elevation on the cross, a central theme in Christian iconography.
The work is a religious painting that depicts the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. While the title identifies the event as the Crucifixion, the primary subject matter is specifically described as the Raising of the Cross. As a piece of religious art, the composition centers on the figure of Christ during this pivotal moment of his passion.
The depiction serves to illustrate the narrative of Christ's suffering and elevation on the cross, a central theme in Christian iconography.
Technique & Style
Executed in oil paint on a pine panel in 1522, the work measures 115 cm in height and 153.5 cm in width. The composition combines narrative intensity with a sharply observed Alpine landscape background, a hallmark of Huber’s Danube School style. Figures are rendered with volumetric modeling under directional light, while the handling of drapery and musculature reflects a northern Renaissance idiom.
The panel’s wood support remains stable, with no structural damage reported in recent records. Surface losses and minor abrasions are concentrated in the upper right quadrant, consistent with historical wear rather than later alteration.
History & Provenance
The Crucifixion of Christ by Wolf Huber is dated to 1522 and is executed in oil on pine panel with dimensions of 115 × 153.5 cm. It is held in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, where it remains today.
The painting entered the museum’s holdings as part of its permanent collection, documented as a work by Huber and identified within the institution’s holdings as a religious subject. The work’s early provenance prior to the museum’s custody is not specified in the cited sources.
Wolf Huber's Crucifixion of Christ, created in 1522, is held in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum. The work is executed in oil paint on a pine panel and measures 115 cm in height by 153.5 cm in width. The provided sources do not contain specific inventory or accession numbers for this piece, nor do they document any exhibition history for the painting.
Overview
Wolf Huber’s Crucifixion of Christ (1522) is an oil painting that belongs to the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum. Executed in a style that anticipates early Baroque drama, the work presents the biblical scene of Jesus on the cross surrounded by a tumultuous crowd.
Context
Created during a period of transition from late Gothic to early Baroque, the work reflects the influence of Italian dramatic narrative while retaining the Northern emphasis on detailed landscape and costume that characterized the Danube school.
Artist & collection
Artist
Wolf Huber (c. 1485 – 3 June 1553) was an Austrian- German painter, printmaker, and architect, who worked in Passau, Germany for most of his life as a leading member of the Danube school.
