The Passion of Christ Altarpiece (The Calvary, The Resurrection)

This small altarpiece was produced either in Antwerp or Malines, centres that specialised in relief sculptures on alabaster plaques, using the artistic style of the Italian Renaissance in the perspective of the scenes that they depicted and in the way that they were sculpted. Such pieces were assembled in such a way as to form architectural structures in keeping with the classical system, and their small size turned them into highly sought after export items, as they could be used for private worship. The panel of the Calvary, with its central axis displaying the crucifixion scene, together with the group of the Virgin Mary with St. John the Evangelist and the Female Saints, is framed by an atlante and a caryatid; depicted in the upper panel is the scene of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The architectural and decorative elements are inspired by the engravings of the Flemish artists Cornelis Bos (c. 1508-1555) and Cornelis Floris (1514-1575).