Entry into Jerusalem
Pieter Coecke van Aelst
circa 1530 and 1535
From the collection of Bonnefantenmuseum
“In the foreground, several figures are cheering Christ on his entry into Jerusalem on a donkey. The Mount of Olives, where Jesus and his disciples have come from, can be seen in the distance. The painting gives a very lively impression. The movement in the composition, along with the abundance of human figures and the bright, fresh colours, creates an exuberant whole. A striking element of this painting is the unusual contortions of the figures. The architecture of the city wall works like a sort of stage set for the scene in the foreground. The bright colours are characteristic of the wings of a large retable, as the pictures had to be seen and understood from a great distance by people who were mostly illiterate.”