Hieronymus Bosch (Jeroen van Aken, ca 1450-1516), Christ carrying the Cross, c. 1515, oil on panel, 74 x 81 cm.
Museum van Schone Kunsten, Gent.
De Kruisdraging
According to recent research, it would appear that this painting was probably made by a Bosch follower, however in Bosch's workshop.
The malice of Christ’s enemies reaches a hysterical pitch in presumably Bosch’s the Christ carrying the Cross. This time, Christ is accompanied by St Veronica, an equivocal figure not mentioned in the Bible, who supposedly wiped the sweat from the Saviour’s face as he struggled beneath the Cross and thereby obtained a miraculous image of his features on her handkerchief. Around Christ and Veronica, the painting is almost completely overwhelmed with maniacal visages that scream their vindictive cruelty and express their utmost rudeness, rolling their eyes at their victims. These people are not men but demons, perfect incarnation of all vices and passions, which ever stained the soul. In this maelstrom of evil, the heads of Christ and Veronica appear oddly calm and aloof. Eyes closed, they seem focused within themselves, undisturbed by the tumult around them.