Christ on the Cross, from The Passion of Christ

Jesus hangs from the central cross while the two thieves are bound to crosses on either side. At the base of the cross, Mary Magdalene kneels in grief near the Virgin Mary and Saint John, while Roman soldiers and curious onlookers in the foreground and background observe the event. Both a darkened sun and a crescent moon are visible in the sky, signaling the celestial darkness described in the Gospels.

The simultaneous appearance of the sun and moon is a traditional religious motif that also held profound meaning in Renaissance natural philosophy and alchemy as a symbol of the 'coniunctio' or the union of opposites. As a leading figure of the Haarlem Mannerists, Goltzius's work reflects the intellectual environment of the late 16th century where orthodox Christian imagery often intersected with the era's preoccupation with cosmic cycles and spiritual transformation.