RUBENS, Peter Paul
(b. 1577, Siegen, d. 1640, Antwerpen)

Descent from the Cross (right wing)

1612-14
Oil on panel, 421 x 153 cm
O.-L. Vrouwekathedraal, Antwerp

The right wing of the great triptych of the Descent from the Cross is devoted to the presentation of the Infant Christ in the Temple at Jerusalem. The elderly Simeon holds the Child in his arms while the prophetess Anna, located in the shadows between Simeon and Mary, looks on joyfully. Joseph, who has brought two sacrificial doves with him, kneels down respectfully. The onlooker on the left edge of this splendid temple interior is Nicolaas Rockox, a friend of Rubens and a prominent figure in Antwerp.




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