Kaisheimer Kreuzabnahme

Hans Holbein the Elder painted this Kaisheim Descent from the Cross around 1500 for the Cistercian abbey. The Deposition, showing Christ being lowered from the cross, demanded the most complex figural arrangement in the Passion cycle. Holbein's mastery of multi-figure composition is fully displayed in this emotionally charged scene. The tempera medium required careful preparation on a gessoed panel and a disciplined layering technique that produced precise, durable surfaces suited to the intricate detail expected of devotional painting.

Oil on panel with complex figure arrangement around the vertical cross. Holbein's handling of the dead Christ's weight and the mourners' supporting gestures demonstrates sophisticated compositional problem-solving.