The Descent from the Cross is one of many religiously based paintings from Rogier van der Weyden. Van der Weyden is one of the most influential artists of the Renaissance period in Northern Europe. His naturalistic, striking style of painting was probably developed from his apprenticeship under Robert Campin, another Northern Renaissance artist who became well known for his incredible use of details that made his paintings stand out. Almost all of Rogier van der Weyden’s surviving pieces are religious, and those that are not are portraits, though he is mostly famous for his incredibly expressive religious works. This particular altarpiece depicts the removal of Christ from the cross. Joseph is shown lowering Christ’s body to the ground as