Peter Paul RubensFlemish, 1577–1640Descent from the Cross
May one see it?
Yes, receiving visitors
State Hermitage Museum
Room247Saint Petersburg, Russia
On public display.
- Checked
- 29 Aug 2026
- In this state since
- Aug 30, 2026
- Source
- The museum's own collection data
About the painting
The Descent from the Cross is a c.1618 oil on canvas painting by Peter Paul Rubens and his studio. The broad free brushstrokes of the old man's body and robes point to Rubens' pupil Anthony van Dyck. It is now in the Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg.
The work was commissioned for the high altar of the Capuchin church in Lier near Antwerp and based on his successful earlier work on the subject for Antwerp Cathedral. Two preparatory drawings for it survive, one each in the EV Thaw collection in New York (previously in the Wrangham collection in the United Kingdom) and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. It hung in the chapel until 1794, when it was hidden from the French invaders by the monks. It was next recorded as being given by Bruges to Josephine Beauharnais's collection at Château de Malmaison. It and the rest of her collection were bought in 1814 for the Hermitage.
Particulars
- Accession number
- ГЭ-471
In the catalog
Sources
- State Hermitage Museum: the museum's own open data · fetched 29 Aug 2026
- Image: State Hermitage Museum — Museum open access
Meanwhile, in the life of Peter Paul Rubens
The whole lifeJuly 1600 – 5 May 1608 · Workplace
Mantua
1606–1608
Commission for the High Altar of the Chiesa Nuova
With the assistance of Cardinal Jacopo Serra, Rubens received his most important commission to date — the high altar of the fashionable new Roman church of Santa Maria in Vallicella (Chiesa Nuova); the first version had to be replaced by a second on three slate panels.
28 October 1608
Departure from Italy Forever
Having finished the commission for the Oratorians, Rubens left Rome without permission on 28 October 1608, hurrying to his ailing mother; despite promises to return to Mantua, he never went back to Italy.
3 October 1609
Married: Isabella Brant
8 October 1609
Marriage to Isabella Brant
The 32-year-old Rubens married the 18-year-old Isabella Brant, niece of his brother's wife and daughter of the humanist and city secretary Jan Brant; the marriage produced three children.
9 January 1610
Court Painter to the Archducal Couple
After being presented at court in August 1609, Rubens received his patent as court painter to Archduke Albert and the Infanta Isabella; at the same time he secured the right to remain working in Antwerp rather than Brussels, and to be paid a fee for each painting.
