The Man of Sorrows

Following the manuscript's earlier narrative scenes of Christ's Passion, Simon Bening painted an image that concentrates on Christ's wounds. Focusing on his body as an object of worship rather than showing a specific dramatic episode from his life, this picture invites meditation on Christ's physical suffering and ultimate triumph over torture and death. Bening here meant to inspire the faithful with a sense of Christ's eternal presence rather than making the viewer an eyewitness to distant historical events.