Diego Velazquez (1599-1660), Christ Crucified, circa 1632. Oil on canvas, Prado Museum, Madrid.
Spanish court painter Diego Velázquez (1599-1660) may have painted this after a trip to Italy, which might have influenced the painting’s balanced, classical feel. By placing Christ’s feet on a platform and eliminating any spatial reference, Velázquez accentuates the feeling of solitude and silence. The figure seems to be calmly enduring crucifixion rather than suffering the torment of the Passion. Although the painting is not typically baroque, its dramatic use of light does seem influenced by Caravaggio.
