The Elevation of the Cross
Description
The Elevation of the Cross is a triptych panel painting, depicting many rippling-muscled men lifting Jesus in the Cross. This painting clearly shows the influence of Michelangelo, Caravaggio, and Tintoretto, all of whose paintings influenced Rubens a great deal. Rubens completed the painting after returning to Flanders from Italy, after the death of his mother in 1608. This painting, along with The Descent of the Cross, was taken from Belgium by Napoleon, but they were later returned at the end of the 19th century. They are both now located in the Cathedral of Our Lady in Antwerp.