Christ Carrying the Cross
1475-90
Martin Schongauer packs an incredible amount of drama into this crowded scene, capturing the moment Christ stumbles under the heavy wooden cross. The composition is a chaotic swirl of soldiers on horseback, aggressive guards prodding him forward with spears, and a mix of curious and cruel onlookers, all rendered with astonishing Northern Renaissance detail. As a master engraver, Schongauer's work was so influential and widely distributed that a young Michelangelo is actually said to have copied his prints to learn drawing techniques.
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