Christ Crucified

Bartolomé Esteban Murillo ( late December 1617, baptized January 1, 1618 – April 3, 1682) was a Spanish Baroque painter. Although he is best known for his religious works, Murillo also produced a considerable number of paintings of contemporary women and children.

According to the art historian Manuela B. Mena Marqués, "in ... the Levitation of St Giles (usually known as The Angels' Kitchen) and the Death of St Clare (Dresden, the characteristic elements of Murillo’s work are already evident: the elegance and beauty of the female figures and the angels, the realism of the still-life details and the fusion of reality with the spiritual world, which is extraordinarily well developed in some of the compositions."

This poignant depiction of Christ on the Cross is an oil sketch that relates to a large painting in the Prado, Madrid. Murillo created a perfect focus for meditation: the sun has set, the cloudy sky is streaked with moonlight, and in the dim background Jerusalem can be seen.