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Christ Bearing the Cross

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 636

Set against the backdrop of a contemporary townscape, this theatrical portrayal of Christ on the road to Calvary recalls the Procession of the Holy Blood, an annual civic celebration in Bruges. This event included a reenactment of the episodes shown in the painting: Christ carrying the cross aided by Simon of Cyrene, Veronica receiving the icon of the Holy Face, and the Virgin and Saint John waiting for Christ. The procession was the responsibility of the Confraternity of the Holy Blood, whose members appear in the painting following the armored horseman carrying the group’s official standard.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Christ Bearing the Cross
  • Artist: North Netherlandish (Bruges) Painter (ca. 1470)
  • Medium: Oil on wood
  • Dimensions: 42 3/8 x 32 3/8 in. (107.6 x 82.2 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: Bequest of George D. Pratt, 1935
  • Object Number: 43.95
  • Curatorial Department: European Paintings

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The Annunciation, Hans Memling Netherlandish, Oil on wood
The Annunciation
Hans Memling
ca. 1465–70
Portrait of a Woman, Quinten Massys Netherlandish, Oil on wood
Portrait of a Woman
Quinten Massys
ca. 1520
Virgin and Child with Four Angels, Gerard David Netherlandish, Oil on wood
Virgin and Child with Four Angels
Gerard David
ca. 1510–15
Tommaso di Folco Portinari (1428–1501); Maria Portinari (Maria Maddalena Baroncelli, born 1456), Hans Memling Netherlandish, Oil on wood
Tommaso di Folco Portinari (1428–1501); Maria Portinari (Maria Maddalena Baroncelli, born 1456)
Hans Memling
ca. 1470

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