Christ Crucified between the Two Thieves: The Three Crosses

Rembrandt (Rembrandt van Rijn)

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

In the fourth state of this print, Rembrandt completely transformed the plate by scraping away large portions of the original composition (see also the second state, 41.1.31), some of which are still visible underneath the hatching. He covered the sky with strong parallel lines that veil the remaining figures on both sides, and he redrew Christ's face to show his mouth open and his eyes half-closed. These changes actually alter the subject of the print: instead of showing the centurion's conversion after Christ's death, the image now focuses on the figure of Christ in the final moments of life, as he cries, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46).

Drawings and Prints

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Department’s vast collection of works on paper comprises approximately 21,000 drawings, 1.2 million prints, and 12,000 illustrated books created in Europe and the Americas from about 1400 to the present day. Since its foundation in 1916, the Department has been committed to collecting a wide range of works on paper, which includes both pieces that are incredibly rare and lauded for their aesthetic appeal, as well as material that is more popular, functional, and ephemeral. The broad scope of the department’s collecting encourages questions of connoisseurship as well as those pertaining to function and context, and demonstrates the vital role that prints, drawings, and illustrated books have played throughout history.

Metropolitan Museum of Art