The Resurrection of the Cross is one of a series of paintings based on the crucifixion of Christ by Peter Paul Rubens. This piece was painted between 1609 and 1610 with life-size oil on canvas, with the centerpiece of the triptych measuring 15'2" by 11'2". It is now on display in the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Antwerp, Belgium (Dunton, 164). Peter Paul Rubens was a Flemish artist who painted in the Baroque style. His paintings were mostly of religious and mythical origin and his talent in this field was highly appreciated during his lifetime and since. (www.peterpaulrubens.com) Born June 28, 1577, Rubens' development as a painter apparently began very early. After his father died and his family moved to Antwerp, he decided he wanted to become a painter and "in 1598, at the age of 21, he received the rank of master painter from the Antwerp guild of St. Luke” (CSU Eastbay article). Looking at the entire triptych, certain visual elements can be seen. Lighting is carefully used to highlight many of the important details of the painting; the dramatic facial expressions of many of the people in this scene are clearly lit and defined to illustrate the emotions felt by the witnesses. In the left panel of The Resurrection of the Cross, among the mourners appear Saint John, another man who appears to console Saint John, Elizabeth (the mother of John the Baptist), Saint Mary (the mother of Jesus) and Mary -Madeleine (hoocher.com). One of the mourners looks directly at the viewer with a very distraught expression on his face. The mourner who I suspect is St. John in the back appears to be almost nauseous and his face is surrounded by darkness and is subordinated and his face is highlighted. Additionally, the rocky bottom is subordinate... middle of paper ...is parallel to the implied line shown by the stick in the soldier's hand. The Raising of the Cross is an astonishing work of art and the depth of meaning it contains is probably beyond my reach. There seems to be a lot of symbolism in this painting and I'm sure I've missed some. The style of this painting is clearly inspired by the Baroque masters of Rubens' era and Ruben took the style to a new level that the world had not seen at that time. The other pieces in Ruben's series of paintings based on the crucifixion of Christ help to give clarity to this painting and provide insight into the characters in the paintings. Works Cited Dunton, Larkin (1896). The world and its inhabitants. Money, Burdett. p. 164.http://www.mcs.csueastbay.edu/~malek/Rubens.htmlhttp://www.peterpaulrubens.org/biography.htmlhttp://hoocher.com/Peter_Paul_Rubens/Peter_Paul_Rubens.htm