Christ Carrying the Cross
Artist: El Greco
1577 - 87
Painting
During his long career in Spain, El Greco produced numerous paintings of Christ carrying the cross. The Lehman canvas, arguably his earliest version of the subject, is not a narrative scene: no other figures are represented and the setting is not recognizable. Instead, it is a devotional image of haunting immediacy and resonant with pathos. Christ's willing sacrifice for mankind is expressed through his gentle embrace of the cross and his heavenward gaze.
The painting is oil on canvas, measuring41 5/16 x 31 1/8 in. (105 x 79 cm) and can be seen at The Met Fifth Avenue.
Christ Carrying the Cross
Artist: Matthias Grünewald
1523-24
Painting
Christ slumps on his knees in the centre of this composition. He has collapsed while carrying the heavy cross on the way to his own Crucifixion. He gazes upwards in exasperation. His back is dramatically and angularly arched, thus evoking a sense of discomfort, pain, and suffering. Christ is surrounded on both sides by armed henchmen that taunt and mock him. A man to Christ’s left tugs aggressively on his drapery, forcing him to continue his journey. A crouching figure on the right stares hostilely at Christ. The background of the painting is composed of medieval architecture that represents the city of Jerusalem. The ledge of the loggia bears an inscription from The Book of Isaiah.
this oi on wood painting is housed in the Staatliche Kunsthalle Karlsruhe, Karlsruhe, Germany
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