Crucifixion
Bartolommeo da Brescia
Description
Subject Matter:
This small etching depicts the Crucifixion of Christ. The heads and wings of three cherubim emerge from the clouds that gather around the top of the cross, signaling the divine importance of the event. The skull and bones at the base of the cross evoke the name Golgotha, or "Place of the Skull," where the Crucifixion was said to have taken place, and also allude to Christ's eventual triumph over death.
Physical Description:
From the height of a cross, a crucified man, wearing a crown of thorns and a loincloth, looms over a dramatic landscape. Three heads with wings appear near the top of the cross, and a skull and crossed bones lay at its base. A vast prospect of distant mountains and a bustling port unfolds through the background.
Usage Rights:
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