Conventional representations of the Crucifixion highlight Jesus’s suffering by showing an emaciated figure hanging limply with downcast eyes. However, in this image by the Flemish artist Peter Paul Rubens we see a radical departure from this tradition. Rather than a tortured martyr, this Christ is heroically alive. He raised his eyes trustingly toward the heavens. His muscular body, derived from ancient Roman sculpture, is brilliantly lit. Thus, the artist emphasises Jesus’s divinity, showing the faithful that his sacrifice will ensure their salvation.
The Arts of Golden Age Spain and the Hispanic World 