Christ Carrying the Cross
Medium
Oil on panel
Dimensions
24.6 × 19.5 cm (9 11/16 × 7 11/16 in.); Framed: 29.8 × 24.7 × 4.5 cm (11 3/4 × 9 3/4 × in.)
Classification
painting
Department
Painting and Sculpture of Europe
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
59897
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
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 f...