Episodes from the Passion and the Resurrection of Christ

Van Orley employs a chiaroscuro scheme that models the figures with strong contrasts of light and shadow, giving them a three‑dimensional presence on a flat surface. Dark tonalities dominate the background, while illuminated halos and highlights draw attention to the sacred characters, reflecting the artist’s synthesis of Northern detail and Italianate modeling.

Created during the early seventeenth century, the painting reflects van Orley’s mature period after years of work in Brussels on tapestries, stained glass, and panel painting. It entered the collection of the Alte Pinakothek, where it remains part of the museum’s holdings of Flemish Baroque art.

Van Orley was a leading figure of the Romanist movement, which merged Northern European artistic practices with influences from the Italian Renaissance, especially the works of Raphael. This cross‑cultural approach is evident in the painting’s balanced composition, narrative clarity, and refined handling of human anatomy.