The Way of the Cross

One of a series of windows depicting the Passion of Christ, this panel shows Christ carrying the cross in the center. The museum owns two other panels from the same set (Arrest of Christ and Flagellation of Christ). Here Christ carries his own cross from a gate in Jerusalem toward the place of crucifixion, the hill of Calvary (Golgotha), seen in the distance. The pane centered below shows a pedestal, as if supporting the image; and, that directly above represents the top part of a canopy with a pair of putti holding a swag of laurel. Together the central vertical group may have been intended to resemble a hooded lantern or reliquary.  These center panes are flanked by ones with acanthus leaves from which emerge cornucopia supporting putti blowing horns. It appears that the individual panes have been trimmed down at some point. Note, for example, how the end of the right putto’s horn and the bottom edge of the canopy, as well as the outside ends of the cornucopia horns, seem to have been cut off.