{"id":38163,"date":"2021-05-29T13:42:42","date_gmt":"2021-05-29T11:42:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/topa.be\/olv-kathedraal\/beschrijving\/kruisafneming-rubens\/"},"modified":"2021-11-20T13:50:15","modified_gmt":"2021-11-20T12:50:15","slug":"kruisafneming-rubens","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/topa.be\/en\/olv-kathedraal\/beschrijving\/kruisafneming-rubens\/","title":{"rendered":"OLV Descent of the Cross (PP.Rubens)"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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The Our Lady\u2019s Cathedral of Antwerp, a revelation.<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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The Descent from the Cross (Peter Paul Rubens)<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Antwerp cathedral - The Descent from the Cross (P.P. Rubens) (UA)<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The triptych\u00a0The Descent from the Cross<\/em>\u00a0is undisputedly a splendid masterpiece by Rubens, which is rightly considered among the most famous paintings of Flemish heritage and the entire Baroque. On the statue in Groenplaats (Willem Geefs, 1840) that honours Antwerp\u2019s most renowned citizen, Pieter Paul Rubens not surprisingly has a sheet of paper lying at his feet, representing a swift sketch of his most famous masterpiece.<\/p>\n

In the campaign of restoring the altars after 1585 the archebusiers, a civic guard using fire weapons, quickly built up their altar again, but contrary to nearly all other citizen militias it took quite long before a triptych was commissioned: until the beginning of the Twelve Years\u2019 Truce. In order to pay the cost they could use the money with which some new guild members, so-called \u2018wepelaars\u2019, bought off their armed service. In 1611, the year the work was put to tender, their captain was Nicolaas Rockox, Rubens\u2019s \u2018vriendt ende patroon\u2019 (friend and patron) and also exterior mayor. This humanist intellectual and pious Catholic was married but childless and spent his enormous fortune mainly on poor relief and patronage of the arts. His house in Keizerstraat now is one of the most beautiful historic museums in the city. Very soon he discovered Rubens\u2019s talent after the latter\u2019s return from Italy. Just like three other civic guards with a large number of members, which could amount to 200 or even 300, the guild of the archebusiers had their altar in the vast transept of the cathedral, which also accounts for the dimensions of the triptych: 4.2 m (14 ft.) high, with a width of 3.1 m (10 ft.) for the central panel and 1.5 m (5 ft.) for each of the two wings. The altarpiece by Rubens is still in the Southern transept, at a few yards of its original position. Unlike\u00a0The Raising of the Cross<\/em>\u00a0Rubens did execute this commission in his workshop in Kloosterstraat, because this time it concerned three panels with different scenes. One year later, 12 September 1612, probably not by chance just before the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross (14 September) the central panel was put in position. Two years later the two wings came to \u2018close\u2019 the commission and the completed triptych was consecrated.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Antwerp cathedral – The Descent from the Cross (PPR) Christopher (Wikipedia)<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Traditionally the long, narrow exterior wings of altar triptychs are reserved for the patron saints, usually as static imitations of statues. The patron saint of the archebusiers was Saint Christopher, but here he acts as the vivid main character of his legend. Reprobus, the giant from the medieval legend, liked to throw his weight about by entering the service of the king, for whom everybody stood in awe. But one day Reprobus found out that this mighty monarch was afraid: of the devil. This is why he immediately offered his services to the devil, presuming that this was really the most powerful one. But he was wrong. Also the devil felt fear, namely for Christ, the Son of the one, almighty God. So Reprobus went in search of Christ. After a long quest Reprobus met a hermit by a river, who taught him the Christian faith and assured him that Christ would certainly appreciate him if Reprobus helped people cross the dangerous river. The giant put travellers on his strong shoulders and carried them across the river \u2013 free of charge. One evening a small boy came to him. Reprobus put him on his shoulders, but after a while the little child became so heavy that Reprobus nearly lost his balance. Only with all his strength he succeeded in carrying the boy to the other bank. Curious about the reason for the boy\u2019s extraordinary weight, he was given as an explanation: \u2018I am Christ, who has carried away the sins of the world\u2019. Reprobus had understood: not \u2018to throw one\u2019s weight about\u2019 is the message, you can only meet God when you are prepared to help other people carry their burdens. Reprobus had himself baptized by the name of \u2018Christopher\u2019, from the Latin \u2018Christophorus\u2019, which is \u2018Christ bearer\u2019. As a Christian version of the mythological Charon, Saint Christopher was regarded a protector on the last crossing, the one to hereafter. According to medieval superstition those who looked at an image of Saint Christopher would be freed of an unforeseen death that day. This indicated that a person would not die without the last sacraments, which in those days was understood as: not ready for the journey into eternity. As a consequence for men who, as the archebusiers, dealt with perilous gunpowder, Christopher became the patron for the \u2018good death\u2019. In the yearly procession the archebusiers hired stilt walkers to represent the gigantic saint, preceded by the hermit with the lantern: a popular attraction. No doubt the guild would have liked to see the popular saint in the central panel, but the Catholic Church demanded a purification of hagiolatry, as a reaction to the legitimate criticism of the Protestants. By the way, trendsetters of historical criticism on medieval hagiographies were the Antwerp Jesuits, whose research resulted in the monumental edition\u00a0Acta Sanctorum<\/em>\u00a0(the real facts of the saints). The person of \u2018Christopher\u2019 was unmasked as merely legendary. Moreover the Counter Reformation demanded that in an opened altarpiece the sacrifice of love of Christ\u2019s crucifixion should be prevalent. The solution consisted in drawing the attention thrice on the spiritual meaning of the name \u2018Christopher\u2019 illustrated by a story from the Gospel: \u2018to carry Christ\u2019. The legend of Christopher was preserved however as a scene spread over the two exterior wings.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Antwerp cathedral – The Descent from the Cross (PPR) Central panel – detail (WS)<\/figcaption><\/figure>

The central panel shows the tragic moment when Jesus is taken from the cross \u2013 which also offers its name to the entire triptych by Rubens. The choice for this title is obvious, because a host of loyal followers is\u00a0carrying<\/em>\u00a0Him. You sense the carefulness needed to let such a lifeless body diffidently down from such a high cross. The body sinks down, restrained by two men who are standing on ladders and hang over the crossbeam. One of them, the one leaning on the crossbeam top right, succeeds in holding the shroud skilfully between his teeth while with his one free hand he holds Jesus by his arm and slowly lets Him down. In this way he not only prevents Jesus\u2019s body from tumbling down but he also helps to show Jesus\u2019s body to the worshippers. His complex posture constitutes the start of a downward movement, which, from top left to bottom right, constitutes the diagonal composition line of this panel, and which is greatly built on Jesus\u2019s lifeless body.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Antwerp cathedral – The Descent from the Cross PPR – Christ (JV)<\/figcaption><\/figure>

The sideways bent body, together with the loose right arm and the hanging head, make us feel the weight of Jesus\u2019s robust but lifeless body. The pale colour of death contrasts strongly with the red of the blood that is dried or partly seeps down, especially at the level of the wound of the spear.<\/p>

From some distance His head is respectfully flanked by the looks of two honourable Jews who were also among Jesus\u2019s pupils. Joseph of Arimathea, a wealthy counsellor of the highest Jewish court of justice, the Sanhedrin, had been given permission by Pilate to take away Jesus\u2019s body and to bury it. The helpful man, clad in dark blue, staggers on a sidelong ladder and succeeds in grabbing it with both his hands. In the moment before this he has taken the crown of thorns and pulled out the three nails. Also the Pharisee and Scribe Nicodemus, one of the most respectable Jews, was there to honour Jesus. He came to help. In spite of his stately gown he is also on a ladder. With one hand he keeps up Jesus\u2019s right upper arm \u2013 to be seen by the beholder \u2013 with the other one he is holding the shroud.<\/p>

Typified by the magnificent fiery red of his gown, Jesus\u2019s beloved friend John, fully in the front and in the spotlight, is the most prominent of all faithful disciples. With a single foot balancing on the ladder, he braces himself to carry Jesus\u2019s full weight.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Antwerp cathedral – The Descent from the Cross PPR – Maria (JV)<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Opposite, slightly more in the dark and \u2013 true to iconographic tradition \u2013 on the place of honour, which is the right hand side of Jesus, Mary is weeping. She is deathly pale. This mother\u2019s grief is too inhuman to bear: her distorted face is too painful to observe. Broken-hearted she looks at her deceased Son, while in despair she stretches out her hands to touch Him.<\/p>

The downward movement \u2013 and also the diagonal composition line \u2013 ends below in the kneeling Mary Magdalen and Mary of Clopas \u2013 a gesture full of respect and awe for their Master, while they look up at Him lovingly. Mary Magdalen holds Jesus\u2019s foot with both her hands and lets it rest on her shoulder. This gesture can also be seen as an allusion to her sympathetic courtesy, when she washed Jesus\u2019s feet in the house of Simon the Pharisee. Behind her Mary of Clopas nearly by stealth stretches out her hand so that she can hold a little corner of the shroud to be tangibly involved in this last farewell. Her naked forearm and the elbow of the man top right constitute an inclusion.<\/p>

Rubens, who is known for his dramatic compositions full of fierce melodrama, shows tranquil emotions here: mark how bitter tears roll over the cheeks of Mary of Clopas. And because the two men on top really hang across the crossbeam \u2013 the man on the left risks nearly losing his balance \u2013 a three dimensional depth is created that strengthens the subdued power of the whole, which turns the heaviness of bearing into the core of\u00a0The Descent from the Cross<\/em>.<\/p>

The precious relics of the crown of thorns and the three nails of the cross have been carefully laid in the plate in the corner bottom right. The blood in it comes from the sharp objects that deeply pierced the veins in Jesus\u2019s body. And to prevent the written notice which was on the cross from flying away, a stone has been put on to it.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Bird's eye view on Antwerp, woodcut by Virgilius Bononiensis, 1565 - detail with the cathedral<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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