The Crucifixion

A testament to the enduring power and influence of Rogier van der Weyden's compositions, the present panel incorporates elements from two distinct paintings by the master. The Christ, Mary and John the Evangelist figures are taken from his Crucifixion triptych (Vienna, Kunsthistoriches Museum), while the Magdalene derives from the Prado Lamentation. Interestingly, the same group of figures, including the adapted Magdalene, appears in a panel in the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, Dresden, catalogued as a workshop painting, c. 1460/70 (H. Marx et al., Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister Dresden, Cologne, 2005, II, p. 586, no. 2127).

Dr. Till-Holger Borschert has suggested that the present panel was most likely produced in Bruges between 1530 and 1540 (written communication, 25 March 2011).