THE WAY TO THE CALVARY ALTARPIECE

ICONOGRAPHY 

The altarpiece portrays the story of the Road to Calvary or Christ Carrying the Cross. The figure of Christ the Saviour carrying the Cross with the help of Simon of Cyrene stands to the foreground while the much smaller figure of Simon goes almost unnoticed. Christ looks directly at observers with great suffering and anguish on His face. He is surrounded by soldiers in different stances: one appears to be recriminating Him, another clutches at His tunic and a third is getting ready to hit Him. Two blindfolded thieves surrounded by other executioners precede the figure of Christ.

The family, next of kin and followers of Jesus bring up the rear of the group: a weeping Mary Magdalene raises a hand to her face, the same as one of the Holy Women does. Among the people in the group are St. John and the Holy Virgin, who is being comforted by him. To the rear of the scenario are three more women: one is praying, another carries a jar of spices and a third stands in a doorway.

A figure of St. John the Baptist appears on the left wing and another of St. Christopher on the right.