The Crucifixion with the Virgin and Saint John

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Alexis Lee Martinez ARHT332_01FA13 October 28, 2013 The Crucifixion with the Virgin and Saint John by Hendrick ter Brugghen is an oil on canvas which was created around the years of 1624-1625 as a replacement to a previous altar piece for the Catholic Church. The painting is set during a starry night but some argue that it might even be dawn. One perspective is the darkness, meaning the devastation of Jesus’ death or even a reference to the Gospel of Matthew; ”Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour." Matthew 27:45. The other is the light of hope (dawn) in Christ’s resurrection. The dark painting displays Jesus’ crucified body along with the Virgin and St. John looking up at him in horror. Mary and St. John’s body language gives off a feeling of despair with each of their hands twisted and folded in signs of prayer. Mary has no color left in her face from the pain of seeing her son on the cross, yet rather than looking at Jesus’ face, she stares at his torso. Hendrick ter Brugghen focused on using grey colors to add more expression as a result of the loss of Jesus Christ. You can see the extensive use of dark coloring toward the background of the painting, Jesus’ corps, the cross, ground and also the bones. There is a specific background area of the painting where you see a division of dark and light coloring. This can represent a distinction between death and life, referring to Jesus’ corpse, Mary and St. John. This is also visible in the color of their clothing and also in St. John’s rosy skin. There is also a reason to believe that Hendrick ter Brugghen may have witnessed the full solar eclipse which may be the reasons for his decision have a division of dark and light. During an eclipse the sun and the moon are in line with each other in which eventually creates darkness and light. An eclipse can only occur on
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