Oil study in the context of "The Elevation of the Cross (Rubens)"

The Elevation of the Cross (also called The Raising of the Cross) is the name of two paintings, a very large triptych in oil on panel and a much smaller oil on paper painting. Both pieces were painted by the Flemish artist Peter Paul Rubens in Antwerp, Belgium, the original in 1610 and the latter in 1638. The original is a winged altarpiece, with the outside of the hinged wings also painted. These can be folded over the central panel, giving an 'open view' and a 'closed view'.

The original is in the Cathedral of Our Lady in Antwerp, as the church for which it was painted has been destroyed. The smaller version is now in the Art Gallery of Ontario, Canada. Another smaller triptych with a different composition, and an oil study, are in the Louvre in Paris.