Christ Crucified between the Two Thieves (The Three Crosses)

Rembrandt · 1653
National Gallery of Art, Washington

Rembrandt made this large print in 1653, scratching the lines straight into the copper with a drypoint needle, which prints a soft, velvety black. He reworked the plate several times; in its later states the scene sinks almost entirely into darkness. This impression is signed and dated at the bottom.

A shaft of light falls on the three crosses. Below, a soldier kneels with arms flung wide, the women sink down on the right, and onlookers hurry away.

From the text

Jesus crucified between two criminals, “one on His right and the other on His left” (Luke 23:33)

“Darkness came over all the land” (Luke 23:44)

“When the centurion saw what had happened, he gave glory to God” (Luke 23:47)

The people going home and the women from Galilee watching (Luke 23:48–49)

The artist’s own

Light falling in straight beams, like a stage lit from above

Horsemen with lances in a mix of Eastern turbans and European dress

Mary fainting among her companions, a scene painters often added

A dog running in the foreground

Details

The light

Straight beams of light pour down from the top of the sheet onto the hill.

On the cross

Jesus hangs in the full light, a sign fixed above his head.

The kneeling soldier

Below the cross a man kneels with his arms spread wide — the centurion of Luke’s account.

The mourners

Women sink to the ground; a man clasps his head with both hands.

Going home

Two men in turbans walk away down the hill.

Signature

“Rembrandt f. 1653”, scratched into the plate.

Rembrandt van Rijn, Dutch, 1606–1669. National Gallery of Art, Washington (Rosenwald Collection, 1943.3.9115) · Drypoint on laid paper · NGA Open Access: "Images of these works are available free of charge for any use, commercial or non-commercial, under Creative Commons Zero (CC0)." (NGA open data: published_images.csv openaccess = 1)

The verses

Luke 23:33When they came to the place called The Skull, they crucified Him there, along with the criminals, one on His right and the other on His left.

Luke 23:44–49It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over all the land until the ninth hour. The sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn down the middle. Then Jesus called out in a loud voice, “Father, into Your hands I commit My Spirit.” And when He had said this, He breathed His last. When the centurion saw what had happened, he gave glory to God, saying, “Surely this was a righteous man.” And when all the people who had gathered for this spectacle saw what had happened, they returned home beating their breasts. But all those who knew Jesus, including the women who had followed Him from Galilee, stood at a distance watching these things.