The Descent from the Cross, by Torchlight 1654

Editor: This is Rembrandt van Rijn's "The Descent from the Cross, by Torchlight," an etching. The scene feels intensely private, huddled in darkness, despite the dramatic subject. What do you make of the use of light here? Curator: Light, indeed, is the key. Notice how it isolates figures, rendering them almost as emotional symbols. The light becomes a metaphor for inner turmoil, and the hope that remains. Observe how the face of Christ is obscured. What does that say? Editor: Perhaps that suffering is universal and we don't need to see his face to relate. Curator: Precisely. Rembrandt uses symbols to communicate on a deeper, more emotional level. The lack of light, the tension, becomes a shared human experience. Editor: It's interesting how darkness can be just as expressive as light. Curator: Absolutely. Rembrandt teaches us how to find the profound in the subtle, the darkness, the emotional.