The Raising of the Cross

This copper engraving in horizontal format shows the dramatic scene in which the wooden cross to which Jesus is nailed is erected by several men. This is the second largest print from the Rubens workshop after the Battle of the Amazons engraved by Lucas Vorsterman. Witdoeck created an outstanding work in terms of painterly skill that stands comparison with Vorsterman’s and Pontius’ engravings. The task seems to place great demands physically on the muscular men: up to eight lifters are needed, and the cross is still only at a 45-degree angle. Some of the men wear armour, others are clad in just a few pieces of cloth. The scene is observed by Roman soldiers on horseback to the left of the picture. To the right, women and children watch the spectacle, their faces contorted with pain at the sight of Jesus’ suffering. In the index volume of the Siegerlandmuseum collection of prints we read therefore – and rightly so – that this sheet deserves especial attention. Rubens dedicated the engraving posthumously to his friend and patron Cornelis van der Geest. The latter had been significantly involved in Rubens being commissioned in 1610 to create the altarpiece of The Raising of the Cross.