Artwork
The Passion: The Raising of the Cross
The Passion: The Raising of the Cross is a print by the Baroque artist Hieronymus Wierix. It dates from 1619 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
Hieronymus Wierix’s 1619 print, *The Passion: The Raising of the Cross*, is part of the Cleveland Museum of Art’s collection. Executed in black‑and‑white, the work depicts the moment when laborers hoist the wooden cross bearing the crucified Christ, a scene drawn from the biblical Passion narrative.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on a bare‑chested figure nailed to the cross, his arms outstretched and a crown of thorns upon his head, embodying Christ’s suffering.
The composition centers on a bare‑chested figure nailed to the cross, his arms outstretched and a crown of thorns upon his head, embodying Christ’s suffering. Surrounding men strain to lift the beam, using ropes, a ladder and a hammer, underscoring the physical and spiritual weight of the event. A Latin inscription from the Gospel, emphasizing forgiveness, anchors the image in its devotional purpose.
Technique & Style
Wierix employs stark chiaroscuro, deep shadows and bold contour lines to render the figures with muscular intensity. The stark contrast of ink creates a dramatic atmosphere typical of early Baroque printmaking, while the precise hatching conveys both texture—such as sweat on brows—and the tension of the laboring bodies.
History & Provenance
Created in 1619, the print reflects the Northern European print tradition of the early seventeenth century. It entered the Cleveland Museum of Art’s holdings through acquisition in the twentieth century, where it remains a representative example of Wierix’s religious oeuvre and of the period’s devotional imagery.
Artist & collection
Artist
Hieronymus Wierix (1553–1619) was a Flemish engraver, draughtsman and publisher. He is known for his reproductive engravings after the work of well-known local and foreign artists including Albrecht Dürer. Together with…
The Passion: Christ Carrying the Cross
The Passion: The Crucifixion
The Passion: Christ Carrying the Cross
Raising of the Cross
The Passion: The Flagellation
The Passion: Christ Crucified
The Passion: Christ Carrying the Cross
The Passion: Crucifixion
The Passion: The Flagellation
Raising of the Cross
The Fall and Redemption of Man: The Raising of the Cross