Artwork
Carrying the Cross
Carrying the Cross is an oil painting by the Rococo painting artist Adriaen van der Werff. It dates from 1712 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Van der Werff’s composition centers on the solitary figure of Christ, whose downward gaze and burdened posture emphasize suffering and humility.
The painting depicts Christ Carrying the Cross, a key moment in the Passion narrative in which Jesus is shown bearing the cross to Calvary. Van der Werff’s composition centers on the solitary figure of Christ, whose downward gaze and burdened posture emphasize suffering and humility. The sparse setting and focused lighting isolate the subject, underscoring the spiritual gravity of the event.
Traditionally, this iconography symbolizes Christ’s redemptive sacrifice and the fulfillment of divine prophecy, while the subdued palette and refined execution reflect the artist’s late Baroque classicism and courtly taste under Elector Johann Wilhelm’s patronage.
Technique & Style
The work is an oil painting executed on a panel support, created in 1712. It measures 81.5 cm in height and 57.6 cm in width. As a religious painting by Adriaen van der Werff, the piece depicts Christ carrying the cross.
The medium and dimensions are consistent with the artist's known practice of small-scale, highly finished devotional images on wood panels during the early 18th century.
History & Provenance
The painting was commissioned by Johann Wilhelm, Elector Palatine, and entered the Bavarian State Painting Collections as part of his Johann Wilhelm von der Pfalz collection, specifically within the Electoral Gallery Dusseldorf. It remains in the Alte Pinakothek in Munich. Executed in 1712, the work is an oil on panel measuring 81.5 cm by 57.6 cm, depicting Christ carrying the cross. Its creation history is tied to the Elector’s patronage and the religious genre conventions of the period.
The painting is held by the Bavarian State Painting Collections in Munich, where it is part of the collection of the Alte Pinakothek. It is inventoried as accession number 8243.
It was exhibited in 2015 at the exhibition "Adriaen van der Werff: Classic Painter in the Age of Rembrandt" held at Museum Kurhaus Kleve, Kleve.
Overview
Adriaen van der Werff’s oil painting Carrying the Cross was completed in 1712. Executed in the Rococo style, the work portrays the biblical episode of Christ bearing the cross. It is part of the permanent collection of the Alte Pinakothek in Munich.
Context
Van der Werff, primarily known for portraiture and mythological scenes, produced a limited number of overtly devotional works. Carrying the Cross reflects the period’s interest in dramatizing biblical narratives through refined, courtly elegance, a hallmark of the late Baroque transitioning into Rococo.
Artist & collection
Artist
Adriaen van der Werff (21 January 1659 – 12 November 1722) was a Dutch painter of portraits and erotic, devotional and mythological scenes.
Cupid Kissing Venus (Venus Kissed by Amor)
God Holds Adam and Eve Responsible
A Nymph Dancing to a Shepherd's Flute-Playing
The Holy Family
Bubble-blowing Girl with a Vanitas Still Life
Virgin and Child with Saint John (chalk sketch)
Self-portrait with the Portrait of his Wife, Margaretha van Rees, and their Daughter Maria
Portrait of Johann Wilhelm Elector of Palatine (1658-1716)
- Christ Carrying the Cross
Christ Carrying the Cross
Christ carrying the cross
Christ Carrying the Cross
Descent from the Cross (Matthew 27:58–59; Mark 15: 45–46; Luke 23:52–53; John 19:38)
Study for "The Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian" (for the Augustinian monastery at Diessen, Germany)
Ecce Homo
Adoration of the Magi with Saint Helena
Die Auferweckung des Jünglings von Naim