Man of Sorrows
1532
"Behold your King!" reads the Latin scroll hovering above this intense 1532 scene by Dutch master Maarten van Heemskerck. Christ sits front and center, looking upward with a mix of resignation and pain as an angel gently—but firmly—places a crown of thorns on his head. Another angel stands by holding a torch, while Christ displays the stigmata on his hand and side. This early work predates Heemskerck's famous trip to Rome, where he would later absorb Michelangelo's muscular style, though you can already see those bulging, sculptural muscles here. It's a striking example of Northern Renaissance drama, blending emotional intensity with anatomical precision.