Christ Crucified between the Two Thieves (The Three Crosses)

1653

Rembrandt van Rijn

Associated Names
Rembrandt van Rijn

Artist, Dutch, 1606 - 1669

This is an image of a crucifixion scene. The composition is centered around a figure on a cross, surrounded by other figures. Some are on horseback, others standing. The atmosphere is dramatic, with shadows and light creating depth and emphasizing the solemnity of the scene. The detailed etching captures various expressions and actions. The cross is slightly elevated, making the figure on it more prominent. The intricate line work and detailed composition make this a depiction of a historical or religious moment.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    drypoint on vellum

  • Credit Line

    Gift of R. Horace Gallatin

  • Dimensions

    plate: 37.2 x 42.8 cm (14 5/8 x 16 7/8 in.)
    sheet: 37.8 x 44.1 cm (14 7/8 x 17 3/8 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1949.1.50

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    White/Boon 1969, no. 78, State i/v

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

John MacGowan [died 1803], Edinburgh (Lugt 1496). (Knoedler & Co., New York); purchased 1930 by R. Horace Gallatin [1871 - 1948], New York; gift to NGA, 1949.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1949

  • R. Horace Gallatin Collection, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, 1949.

1966

  • Master Prints from the Collection of the National Gallery of Art, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, 1966-1967.

1969

  • Rembrandt in the National Gallery of Art [Commemorating the Tercentenary of the Artist's Death], National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., 1969, no. 49a, 52-53, repro.

  • Rembrandt: Experimental Etcher, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and Pierpont Morgan Library, New York, NY, 1969-1970, no. 55, repro.

1973

  • Etchings by Rembrandt, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, 1973.

1975

  • Jacques Callot, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, 1975 (in a "techniques" gallery to supplement the Callot installation), not in cat.

2001

  • The Unfinished Print, National Gallery of Art, Washington, 2001, as The Three Crosses, repro.

2006

  • Strokes of Genius: Rembrandt's Prints and Drawings, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

Bibliography

1923

  • Hind, Arthur M. A Catalogue of Rembrandt's Etchings. London: Methuen and Co. Ltd., 1923.

1969

  • White, Christopher and Karel G. Boon. Rembrandt's Etchings. 2 vols. Amsterdam: Van Gendt & Co., 1969.

1992

  • National Gallery of Art, Washington. Washington, D.C., 1992: 320, repro.

Inscriptions

none

Markings

recto: none; verso: John MacGowan (Lugt 1496)

Watermarks

none

Wikidata ID

Q60761193

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