Preparation for the Crucifixion
Unknown Artist
early 1600s
Medium
oil on copper
Dimensions
unframed: 55 × 46.2 cm · framed: 73.5 × 63.5 × 6.4 cm
Classification
Painting
Department
European Painting and Sculpture
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Holden Collection
Accession Number
1916.816
About this artwork
Despite the religious subject, the scale and intricate detail indicate that this painting was not for a church setting. Instead, as an independent work of art, a collector would have admired its artistry and unusual combination of Italian and northern European traditions. Likewise, the subject’s novelty would have intrigued a sophisticated patron. Neither Christ’s disrobing before the Crucifixion nor the debate over the plaque identifying him as Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews, are common su...