The Crucifixion with Donors and Saints Peter and Margaret of Antioch

Cornelis Engebrechtsz was the leading painter in Leiden before his pupil Lucas van Leyden surpassed him in fame. This crucifixion with donor portraits exemplifies the late medieval tradition in which wealthy patrons had themselves depicted kneeling in prayer alongside sacred scenes, guaranteeing their perpetual intercession. Saints Peter and Margaret of Antioch serve as the donors' patron saints, identifying and protecting them in the heavenly realm.

Intricate landscape detail recedes through atmospheric perspective in the Netherlandish tradition, while the crucifixion figures retain an angular, expressive quality rooted in late Gothic art. Oil glazes build rich, saturated color in the saints' drapery.