Northern Renaissance

Rogier van der Weyden

Rogier van der Weyden (c. 1399–1464) was one of the greatest Early Netherlandish masters, renowned for the intense emotion of his religious paintings. His Descent from the Cross is a summit of Northern art.

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1399–1464 · Early Netherlandish painter

Van der Weyden's expressive grief and elegant line influenced painters across Europe for over a century.

Creator story

Surprising fact

In his Descent from the Cross the figures crowd a shallow, gold-backed space like painted sculpture, heightening the raw grief.

Source: Wikipedia / Wikimedia

One of the greatest Early Netherlandish painters.
Master of intense religious emotion and elegant line.
His Descent from the Cross is a landmark of Northern art.

Portrait: Rogier van der Weyden — Portrait: Wikimedia Commons / Wikipedia.

Key works

A key work by Rogier van der Weyden

These works make it easiest to see how the artist changed form, content, and the very way art could exist in culture.

The Descent from the Cross

The Descent from the Cross is one of Rogier van der Weyden's defining works.