Christ Carrying the Cross

Discussion

FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

Brutal tormentors surround the suffering figure of Jesus as he carries his cross to Calvary, the site of his crucifixion. In the upper-left corner, his mother, Mary, and her companion are also reviled by the crowd. Like many German Late Gothic images of Christ’s Passion, this painting reflects the prophetic words of Psalm 22, which describe how Jesus will be persecuted with ridiculing facial expressions, offensive gestures, and physical torture. The panel was probably intended as a focal point for individual meditation, perhaps as part of a small, portable altarpiece. It is the only surviving panel painting by an artist whose expressive style was highly influential in Southern Germany in the early 15th century.

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