Again, the suffering of Christ is emphasized. Finally, this angle conceals Christ's face. These features, created simply by the angle, leave the viewer with a feeling of deva station. Aside from the influence of angle, however, there is another powerful element at work, namely, the interplay of light and shadow. The lighting is the most subtle and intriguing aspect of the composition.
Light comes from above and behind the cross from the right of the viewer.
While the light illuminates the sides and top of the cross, it leaves Christ's form in shadow. His head falls away from the light. This illumination gives the viewer a subtle sense of hope or relief from the utter despair portrayed in the figure of Christ. One's vision is irresistibly drawn by the angle down toward Christ's darkened form, and is simultaneously drawn toward the light reflected on the cross. The power of this composi tion lies in the dialectical tension between the impact of the angle of vision and the effect of light on the subject, which produce corresponding feelings of despair and hope.