The Florentine Bartolomé Carducho arrived at the royal monastery of El Escorial in 1585, two years after El Greco had completed The Martyrdom of Saint Maurice for that building. Philip II was unhappy with the latter work and El Greco thus failed to establish connections with the Spanish court, in contrast to Carducho whose appointment to the key position of Painter to the King allowed him to become one of the most influential artists of his generation. With its solemn, monumental figures, contrasting lighting and balanced composition, The Descent from the Cross is a fine example of the quality of Carducho’s work.