 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
The Descent of Christ from the Cross
This is the story of the splendid painting ‘The Descent of Christ from the Cross’ which is hanging over the middle door on the north side of Holy Cross Church. In fact, there are two stories to be told: the story of the original painting by P.P.Rubens, the most important baroque artist of Northern Europe in the 1600’s, and the story of the fire damage and the restoration of our copy of one of his greatest paintings.
In 1611 the Archery Guild of St Christopher commissioned Rubens to provide a triptych – or three-panel painting - for the altar in their chapel in Antwerp Cathedral. Most of us are familiar with images of St Christopher carrying the Christ Child across a stream. This is shown on the outside of one of the panels. The name ‘Christopher’ means a ‘Christ Bearer’. Rubens decided to use this theme in each of the panels of the painting. When the triptych is open, the panel on the left shows the Visitation in which Mary, very evidently pregnant, is a bearer of the Child Jesus to Elizabeth. The panel on the right is the Presentation of the Christ Child in the Temple in which Simeon is depicted bearing the Infant Christ in his arms.
Our painting, is a copy of the magnificent centre panel of the triptiche, which captures one of the great moments in the drama of Calvary, the Descent of Christ from the Cross. All those who are supporting the weight of Christ as he is lowered from the Cross, are Christ-bearers, ‘Christophers’. In addition, we, the viewers, are symbolically present in the picture, linked with the figures at the front of the painting who are only just inside the limits of the frame. The participants in the painting include St. John in the scarlet cloak, Nicodemus is on the ladder and opposite him is Joseph of Arimathea. Mary Magdalen and Mary Cleophas kneel at Christ’s feet while the Virgin stands upright, her anguish and grief shown in her pale face. Rubens’ intention was that we would not think of ourselves as observers but as actual participants, and particularly as Christ-bearers to one another.
As we look up and contemplate this masterpiece the surrounding darkness draws us into the sombre mood of Good Friday afternoon when ‘night had fallen’. Then we focus on the great central highlight overlaid on the dark surroundings. Like a shaft of light being enveloped on to a winding-sheet of extraordinary whiteness, the graceful and slender body of Christ, even in death, sheds light without shading on the faces of all others in the painting – as he does on us today from the brilliance of his Risen Body.
A former Dublin Alderman, William Cotton who lived in Hollywood House, presented our copy of this painting to Holy Cross Church. He also presented the painting over the other middle side-door, a copy of a Madonna and Child by Murillo. It is thought that both copies are by a painter, Farasya, who specialised in making copies of famous paintings.
Our copy of The Descent from the Cross was badly damaged by a fire in the church perhaps about twenty years ago. To the non-professional eye it seemed beyond restoration. Not so to the professional eye of Dr Eileen Kane from the Dublin Diocesan Commission on Sacred Art whose advice, interest and encouragement influenced the decision to have the painting restored to its former beauty.
|
|
||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
