Christ on the Cross

Unknown artist

c. 1505

oil on panel

Rijksmuseum

A religious scene depicts Christ on the cross, surrounded by a crowd of figures on horseback and on foot, with a cityscape in the background. The fantasy clothing of the foreground figures situates the biblical story in a distant past. The painter also larded this crucifixion scene with elements from his own world: the tall tower in the walled town – Jerusalem – in the background is almost certainly the cathedral of Utrecht. Not everyone follows the story of salvation in the middle ground: in the hills at the left an old traveller continues on his way while an amorous couple dally at the right.