Matthias Grünewald's Christ Carrying The Cross

Matthias Grünewald’s Christ Carrying the Cross bears no surprise in content and impact when compared with his other works. When considering Grünewald: composition, expressions, subject and color all play a role in his distinct style. This particular piece serves as a great example of Grünewald’s usual approach.

Christ Carrying the Cross portrays the moment of Christ being mocked just before his death on the cross. While showing a different view of the story, the piece alludes to common depictions of Christ at the center surrounded by witnesses. Here Christ’s front and center position still establishes his emphasis. Additionally, the perspective angels of each building behind him and the cross he holds lend a hand in centering the viewer’s eye toward Christ’s face. These compositional principles were common in renaissance paintings, and in fact the only way Grünewald’s work followed classicism ideals. Within the measured composition, we see content similar to that of Temptation of St. Anthony, where in Grünewald packs numerous subjects

While Renaissance classicism called for restrained imagery, Grünewald showed viewers aggressive movement and unfiltered emotion. Christ’s face, for example, displays an anguish that not only looks like true suffering, but also is realistic enough to evoke this feeling. Likewise, the severity of his state is shown in his battered fingers and the torsion of his body as he buckles under the weight of the cross. Grünewald’s realism also extends to objects around Christ. The cross, for example, is unlike others we have seen in which two simple stakes are nailed together. This cross has more clearly been man carved, evident in that it is still covered in bark and shaped like a tree. More so than even Christ’s expression, this cross forces the viewer to come to terms with the idea that this event actually took place and possibly even visualize