Compare And Contrast The Crucifixion Of The Virgin And Saint John

In his Crucifixion, with the Virgin and Saint John the Evangelist Mourning (c.1460), a piece within the Northern Renaissance collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Rogier van der Weyden portrays a stark image of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The right panel of the diptych depicts the gruesome image of a crucified Christ. Weight pulls the emaciated body down into a Y-shape, contrasting the T-shape of the cross it is mounted on. The only movement comes from the loincloth wrapped around Christ’s waist that dances in the wind. Blood visibly trickles from the corpse’s wounds. Behind the body, a red cloth is draped down the grey wall. At the base of the cross sits a skull and bone. The left panel portrays the Virgin Mary swooning in despair as Saint John attempts to support her weight. Her hands are clasped in prayer as she gazes up at her lifeless son. Both figures are clothed in pale draping robes. The vibrant red of the cloth that hangs from the grey wall in the background contrasts the subdued colors of the

Rogier van der Weyden, one of the three great Early Flemish artists and the most influential Northern painter of the 15th century, seems to be rejecting the detailed realism that is characteristic of the Northern Renaissance and is demonstrated in some of his own works. What are the consequences of Rogier van der Weyden’s choice to include a continuous grey wall for the meaning of the work as a whole? To answer this question it will be important to consider the sparse nature of the setting in its entirety, the color used throughout the composition, and the detailed portrayal of biblical characters. This analysis is important to consider because it can help interpret what caused Rogier van der Weyden to stray from the common style of the Northern