4x5 transparency scanned on Hasselblad Flextight X1 by Ed Pollard-2013.

Procession to Calvary

Artist Bernardo Cavallino (Italian, 1616-1656)

Dateca. 1645

MediumOil on canvas

Dimensions40 x 52 in. (101.6 x 132.1 cm)
Overall, Frame: 50 1/2 x 62 x 3 in. (128.3 x 157.5 x 7.6 cm)

ClassificationsEuropean art

Credit LineGift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr.

Object number71.522

Terms

Jesus
Religion
Blue
Brown
Orange
Green
White
Gray
Neo-Mannerism
Naples, Italy

Collections

European Art before 1945

On View

On view

DescriptionThis is an oil on canvas painting. The background is barren rock wall with a small "v" of blue sky peeking through. Mid-ground is filled with people, soldiers, bystanders, and friends of Christ. The cross is in the center of the canvas, with Christ nearly central. The cross blends into the background because it is the same color as the barren rock. Christ is in a white robe as he falls on his knees under the weight of the cross. His right hand is stretched out as if to balance himself as he stumbles. A man and woman lean toward him from the left side of the canvas; they both wear a red garment and are presumably St. John and his mother, Mary. There is a man to the right of the center pulling a rope; it is unclear where the other end of the rope is--either around the cross or around Christ's neck. The foreground is nothing but empty ground pushing the viewers' eye to the dramatic moment in the middle.

Label TextBernardo Cavallino Italian, 1616–1656 Procession to Calvary, ca. 1645 Oil on canvas Stumbling under the weight of the cross, Christ turns to his mother for solace as his tormentors force him toward his crucifixion. The chaotic scene includes a contemporary time traveler: the artist himself gazes at us from the angry mob, standing as a witness to the unfolding tragedy. In an era noted for dramatic proclamations of faith, embedded self-portraits like this one abound, allowing artists to comment on historic events while affirming their own faith. Such images also mark a shift in the status of artists. No longer viewed as mere artisans whose names often went unrecorded, artists were now viewed as exalted creators who could proudly lay claim to their work. Gift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr. 71.522