Three Crosses. The Three Crosses is a print in etching and drypoint by the Dutch artist Rembrandt van Rijn, which depicts the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
   Most of his prints are mainly in etching and this one is a drypoint with burin adjustments from the third state onwards. It is considered one of the most dynamic prints ever made.
   The subject is Jesus Christ on the cross, flanked by the two thieves who were crucified with him, and the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus, weeping and supported by the Evangelist. Roman soldiers on horseback, along with grieving citizens, surround the crosses.
   A beam of light, representing God's light from heaven, pierces the darkened sky to envelope the crucified figure of Christ. The print is noted for its especially intricate iconography, and may represent the exact moment of Christ's death.
   According to Paul Crenshaw of the Kemper Art Museum, Rembrandt was inspired by the text from Matthew 27:46-54 when Christ cried out, My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken Me? Rembrandt drew heavily on biblical sources in his work, as well as being influenced by other Baroque contemporaries. This is one of over 300 Bible-inspired works Rembrandt created. The Three Crosses does not allow for dramatic contrasts of light and shade, known as chiaroscuro. Rembrandt produced the work in four stages, increasing the effects of the light and shade contrasts at each stage. Etching and d
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