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Christ Carrying the Cross

Lo Spagna (c.1450–1528)

The National Gallery, London

Christ Carrying the Cross
Christ Carrying the Cross

Image credit: The National Gallery, London

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'Christ Carrying the Cross' is a painting dating from the beginning of Lo Spagna's professional maturity as an artist. Bent under the weight of the large wooden cross, Christ looks towards the viewer as he makes his way along the road to Calvary. Behind him, a raised area of ground falls away to reveal a hilly Umbrian landscape. Lo Spagna has stripped away the usual narrative elements of the scene. Christ appears alone, as he journeys towards death. In Christ Carrying the Cross Lo Spagna has placed the lone figure of Christ at the front of the picture plane to produce an iconic image, creating a direct and intimate connection with the viewer. Representations of Christ on the way to Calvary were very popular around 1500 in Italy, where the influence of the Devotio moderna ('Modern Devotion') movement, which emphasised the need for medieval Christians to meditate on Christ’s suffering, spurred demand for cult images of the Passion.

The National Gallery, London

London

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Title

Christ Carrying the Cross

Date

perhaps 1500–1505

Medium

oil on wood

Measurements

H 33.8 x W 24.4 cm

Accession number

NG6693

Acquisition method

accepted by HM Government in lieu of Inheritance Tax from the Estate of The Rt Hon. the Countess of Sutherland and allocated to the National Gallery, 2022

Work type

Painting

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Normally on display at

The National Gallery, London

Trafalgar Square, London, Greater London WC2N 5DN England

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Artist or maker

Lo Spagna

c.1450–1528

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