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Taylee McEntyre

Shawn Curtis

ART 1110

4/14/20

The Raising of the Cross by Peter Paul Rubens: Critique paper

A well-known altarpiece titled The Raising of the Cross is a baroque style painting

created by Peter Paul Rubens. This monumental piece was created in the year 1610, stands at 15

feet 1-7/8 inches x 11 feet 1-1/2 inches. The medium used in this piece is oil on canvas and is

also a large triptych which is a picture consisting of three parts that are designed to be displayed

together in a single piece ( Helen South). The Antwerp Cathedral located in the Netherlands is

where the piece is currently being displayed among a few other of Rubens masterpieces.

Peter Paul Rubens was born in Sigen, Wephalia in 1577 and moved with his family to

Antwerp in 1589 after his father’s death (Peterpaulrubens.org). He acquired his degree in

humanist education but, later he started to get more involved with painting and creating. He

began by coping famous works of art which is when he found his infatuation with naturalistic

and realistic artwork. He was also very religious and love the architecture and emotions behind

cathedrals and religious buildings which is what he began painting before he opened up his first

studio in 1610.

Rubens had many students and assistants that helped him create beautiful artwork to put

on display. He loved to collaborate with other artists such as Anthony Van Dyck and Fran

Synders, Collaborating with other artists allowed him to be inspired by other ideas and expand

on his own style. Michelangelo inspired Rubens art by the way he used dynamic figures and

emotions throughout his pieces. This is how He found his love for Baroque religious art which
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according to Boundless Art History, “is characterized by exaggerated motion and clear detail

used to produce drama, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, architecture, literature,

dance and music.”

Rubens painted the altarpiece for St.Walpurgies Church but now stands tall in the

Antwerp’s Cathedral. The triptych allows the three panels used in The Raising of the Cross to

tell a story and sets a focal point on the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. According to Khan Academy,

the Left panel shows St Jon the Evangelist and the Virgin Mary with a group of women grieving

over the death of Christ. The right panel shows the Roman soldiers preparing the two thieves to

be crucified beside Christ.

The Diagonal lines between the panels create a sense of fear and worry between the three

stories that come together to tell one big story. The lines that were created influence “the page

turn” effect. This allows me to look at each panel and create a bigger picture of what the focal

point is (Which is the Crucifixion). Also, there are clear lines throughout the piece such as the

horse in the third panel. The lines create a dark and set turn/movement of the horses neck and

legs which creates the jerking/pulling movement. This shows the worry and fear that the horse

may have due to the intense movements and strokes that the roman soldiers are displaying on the

thieves.

Next, the color throughout the piece is very vibrant and rich. There is a clear blue hue

used through-out all three panels. The blue hue and redness in the picture creates brightness in

the story. The colors contrast with the light and dark eery effect that is used in the sky. There is

both red and blue used in the sky which goes perfectly with the colors used in the clothing of the

people. From left to right there are dramatic changes in color, on the left side there area few

touches of blue and the tree at the top shows the darkness that is exhibited in the facial
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expresions of the people. The middle seems to get lighter with the red and blue colors and the

light blue colors in the sky towards the top left. The third panel contrasts greatly with the far left

panel because of the amount of light colors used in the sky,

Another thing I noticed was the amount of shading used in the people. The dark and light

tones create muscular type men in the middle which resembles the strength needed to help carry

the cross. The man in the middle carrying Christ has very dark shaded legs but, around his legs

there is light which could resemble the sun from the third panel shining down on Christ as he

was being crucified. The contrast between light and dark shows not only the emotion but also the

battle between light and dark (good and evil) that could be portrayed through the piece.

When first examining the different pieces of art we were to choose from for our critique

paper, I stopped in awe of The Raising of the Cross. I think one reason for this is because of my

Christian beliefs therefore the painting drew my attention in immediantly. I feel as though I was

able to relate to the painting and understand what is happening throughout the piece. I was

fascinated by the amount of emotion I felt while analyzing the different aspects of the painting. I

think my favorite part about the painting and what drew my attention in the most is the

separation of the panels as well as the contrast of colors.

The way Rubens used simple colors to contrast light and dark to create the intensity of

the painting is something I wouldn’t understand If I were to just glance at the piece. After

analyzing the three different panels and then taking a step back to look at the bigger picture it

gave me the shock factor. One side of the painting shows despair while the other shows pure

fear. Then when looking at the middle, there are the intense feelings behind how Christ is being

raised onto the cross. The way the men are holding the cross and the facial expressions of the
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women make me feel so sad and at a loss for words. The way he captured this life-changing and

holy moment really puts everything into perspective.

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Works Cited

Bekker, Henk. “Visit the Antwerp Cathedral with Rubens Paintings.” European Traveler, 13
May 2016, www.european-traveler.com/belgium/visit-antwerp-cathedral-rubens-
paintings/.

“Biography of Rubens.” Rubens Biography | Life, Paintings, Influence on Art,

www.peterpaulrubens.org/biography.html.

Boundless. “Boundless Art History.” Lumen, courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-

arthistory/chapter/the-baroque-period/.

“Rubens, Elevation of the Cross (Article).” Khan Academy, Khan Academy,

www.khanacademy.org/humanities/renaissance-reformation/baroque-art1/flanders-
1/a/rubens-elevation-of-the-cross.

South, Helen. “What Are the 'Rules' for Creating a Triptych Piece of Art?” LiveAbout,
LiveAbout, 30 Jan. 2019, www.liveabout.com/triptych-drawing-definition-1123079.