"Christ Carrying the Cross"

Toward the end of the High Renaissance, Mannerism became a movement throughout European art. Mannerism featured a flattening of the pictorial space, providing little depth or perspective and ambiguous space. Mannerism also distorted human figures, providing staged, awkward poses, and utilized a limited color palette. 
El Greco’s Christ Carrying the Cross includes no other characters or background images. It focuses on Jesus’ willingness to sacrifice Himself for humanity. He gently embraces the cross and looks resignedly toward heaven. You can see the impact of Mannerism in Jesus’ eyes, which are almost oversized to emphasize the tears and instill a feeling of drama.