Christ on the cross between the two murderers

This welldocumented painting has a special value for the collective memory. The canvas was located before the French Revolution above the high altar of the former church of the Friars Minor Franciscans in Mechelen and was accompanied on the side altars on both sides by two other Van Dyck compositions. This ensemble was donated to the church by knight Jan van der Laen, lord of Schriek and Grootloo. The painting has a special calibration value in van Dyck's oeuvre. His personal stamp is easily recognizable, especially in the strongly emotional stress of suffering and pain. The composition structure of this altarpiece clearly goes back to the construction plan of the Lanssteek, a work that Rubens had carried out for the Antwerp Friars Minor around 1620.