Rosso Fiorentino's The Descent From The Cross

This essay will closely study and describe Rosso Fiorentino’s The Descent from the Cross. The painting depicts the process of Jesus Christ being taken off of the cross. The major structures in the painting consist of an umber colored cross and three ladders. Starting from the top of the image, there is an old man with a scraggly, white beard holding onto and leaning over the top beam of the cross. He is set off by color, wearing a bright red gown and azure head wrap. The majority of his body rests atop the cross while he stands on the ladder that is leaning on the back of the cross. Immediately below the head of that man is the olive colored body of Jesus Christ. Jesus’ head is dropped back and his body is limp, being held up by two men. The only article of clothing Jesus has on is small, white wrap that covers his genital area. A male figure, dressed in a mainly dark blue wrap, holds the torso of Jesus. His left arm is grabbing Jesus and his head and dark brown hair peak out behind Jesus’ shoulder. This man is standing, barefoot, on a ladder that rests sideways on the middle beam of the cross. Another ladder rests on the front side of the cross; there

A distinction of colors exists within the painting: there is dreary dark blue background contrasted by the intense shades of red and white worn by the figures. A specific example of this the women flanking the Virgin Mary. The woman to the right of Mary attracts the most light and is the brightest in color. The Virgin Mary herself is dark, dull, and shadowed. The woman behind Mary, similar to the other woman, is wearing red and bright. In reality, the lighting of these figures do not make logical sense. If Rosso’s mission was the depict reality than the women would be shaded evenly from light to dark. Due to the overall lack of a single swath of colors, the eye is forced to look all over the painting rather than focus on one main