Christ Crucified Between the Two Thieves: 'The Three Crosses'

Christ Crucified Between the Two Thieves: 'The Three Crosses' by Rembrandt van Rijn is a dramatic print executed using the drypoint technique between 1653 and 1665. This exceptional work stands as a cornerstone of Rijn’s output in prints, demonstrating his revolutionary approach to intaglio processes. Drypoint, unlike traditional etching, involves scratching the image directly onto the copper plate with a needle, raising a burr that captures ink and creates uniquely rich, velvety lines. The substantial time span attributed to this image reflects the fact that Rijn continually reworked and modified the copper plate, resulting in multiple states that dramatically alter the atmosphere and narrative focus across the various impressions.

As a masterwork emerging from the Dutch Golden Age in the Netherlands, the image transcends simple devotional art through Rijn’s innovative use of light and shadow. The artist utilized the dense shadows achievable with drypoint to plunge the periphery into deep obscurity, emphasizing the central, illuminated figure of Christ at the moment of his death alongside the two thieves on Golgotha. This intense dramatic focus contrasts sharply with the agitated crowd surrounding the crosses.

The later states of this composition, created closer to 1665, show Rijn deepening the emotional intensity, replacing many earlier figures with a greater sense of dense darkness and focusing attention entirely on the divine tragedy unfolding. This profound print composition remains one of the most recognizable devotional images in Western art history. The quality and longevity of Rijn’s printmaking ensured that versions of the work are still studied globally today, often through institutional programs offering high-resolution images in the public domain. This significant example of Christ Crucified Between the Two Thieves is held in the distinguished collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.