Christ on the cross between the two thieves

Art Historical Context

This striking engraving, titled *Christ on the Cross Between Two Thieves* and dated around 1631, captures a pivotal moment from the Passion of Christ. Attributed to Peter Paul Rubens an anonymous engraver, likely reproduces one of the master's dynamic compositions. Rubens, a leading Flemish Baroque artist, was renowned for his dramatic religious scenes filled with movement, emotion, and grandeur. The fourth state of four suggests a refined version, possibly with added details or corrections, making it a prized collector's item from the era. Printed on a trimmed sheet measuring 14 × 19½ inches, this work exemplifies the technical mastery of 17th-century engraving. Intaglio techniques allowed for intricate lines and deep contrasts, enabling widespread dissemination of Rubens' designs to devout audiences across Europe. Horses in the scene—depicted amid the soldiers and mourners—add a sense of immediacy and realism, heightening the tension of the Crucifixion narrative from the Gospels. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department, thanks to The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, this print underscores prints' role in Baroque art: bridging elite paintings with popular devotion. Visitors will appreciate its emotional power, blending Rubens' theatrical flair with the engraver's precision for a timeless meditation on sacrifice and redemption.

About the Artist

Peter Paul Rubens|Anonymous · 1577–1640

Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640) stands as the most influential artist of the Flemish Baroque tradition and the greatest exponent of Baroque painting's dynamism, vitality, and sensuous exuberance. Born in Siegen, Westphalia, and raised in Antwerp, Rubens received a humanist education studying Latin and classical literature before pursuing artistic training under three masters: Tobias Verhaecht, Adam ...