Adriaen Thomasz Key - Christ on the cross surrounded by the Virgin and Saint John

Flemish painter born in Antwerp in 1544 and died after 1589 is known for having made altars for the city of Antwerp but his great specialty remains the portraits of great finesse and a striking realism.
Our painting is to be compared with a work recently exhibited at the Pinacothèque de Paris from July to October 2015 devoted to the Flemish masterpieces of the Gerstenmaier collection.
Indeed the general configuration of Christ nailed to the cross is identical to the one depicted in our painting; his closed but expressive face; the white drapery that floats in the wind like a banner are elements that contribute to bring the two works together.
The Virgin, also dressed in a large mantle in a greenish-gray tone, shows the same face marked by a deep sadness.
Saint John also expresses ostensibly his dismay that we perceive on this face with melancholic accents; characteristic of the painting of the German Renaissance as Matthias Grünewald who is one of the major representatives.
The vivid and acidic colors reinforce the dramatic aspect of this scene so often represented in ancient painting.