The Crucifixion

The Crucifixion

ca. 1837
Eugène Delacroix
French, 1798–1863
Oil on canvas
17 1/2 x 14 7/8 in. (44.45 x 37.78 cm)

Although not a practicing Catholic, Eugène Delacroix was a sensitive interpreter of Christian themes. Drawing inspiration from Renaissance and Baroque masterpieces, he painted the Crucifixion many times. In this work, Christ’s solitary death fills the composition; His body is dramatically placed against a dark sky and bare earth. Delacroix focuses on the human suffering of Christ, whose gaze, directed at the viewer, is deeply moving. This sketch may have been purposefully left unfinished by the artist, who may have felt that the composition would be diminished if taken too far.

Anonymous loan