Christ Carrying The Cross, Michael Coxie (mechelen, 1499 – Mechelen, 1592)

Michael Coxie (Mechelen, 1499 – Mechelen, 1592) Workshop of  

Christ Carrying the Cross  

Oil on panel 85 x 57 cm. – framed 112 x 85 cm.  

DETAILS OF THE PAINTING (CLICK HERE)  

The painting on offer, by an artist from the workshop of the famous Flemish master Michael Coxie (Mechelen, 1499 – Mechelen, 1592), reinterprets one of the great master’s famous compositions. 

Coxie brilliantly tackled this classic subject of religious painting on numerous occasions, rendering its dramatic style through a skillful interplay of light and shadow. 

Specifically, it is a remarkable interpretation of Christ Carrying the Cross, immortalized in a moment of profound and dramatic suffering as he embraces and supports the heavy wooden cross on his journey to Mount Calvary; after enduring the mockery and torture of his tormentors, he is burdened with the weight of the cross and sets out on the ascent to Calvary, where he will meet his death.  

Although this is an iconographic motif that traditionally depicts a dramatic moment of the Passion—one that focuses attention on Christ’s sufferings—we see him here portrayed without the slightest sign of the torture he endured, except for the crown of thorns on his head.  

His body appears strong and healthy; he does not buckle under the weight of the cross, and his face bears a pensive and resigned expression.  

The painting draws, albeit with modifications, on the model of Christ Carrying the Cross created around 1555 by Coxie and now housed at the Museo de Bellas Artes in Valencia (fig. 1)  

The work is strongly influenced by Italian classicism —Coxie, in fact, spent many years in Rome, earning the nickname the “Flemish Raphael”—combining Nordic precision in drapery and skin tones with a profound, monumental expressiveness.  

There are several versions and contemporary copies of this powerful composition attributed to the artist and his workshop, some depicting only Christ with the cross, others with additional figures, held in major international collections and museums. 

Among these, we can mention:  - M. Coxie, Christ Carrying the Cross, Lázaro Galdiano Museum, Madrid (fig. 2), https://rkd.nl/images/272117 - M. Coxie (attributed), Christ Carrying the Cross, Utrecht, Museum Catharijneconvent (fig. 3), https://rkd.nl/images/59999 - M. Coxie (circle), Christ Carrying the Cross, Utrecht, Museum Catharijneconvent (Fig. 4), https://rkd.nl/images/28204 - M. Coxie, Christ Carrying the Cross, Private collection, Brussels (Fig. 5), https://rkd.nl/images/271911 —M. Coxie (circle), Christ Carrying the Cross, Bonhams, London (July 11, 2001, lot 31) (Fig. 6), https://rkd.nl/images/107863 - M. Coxie (attrib.), Christ Carrying the Cross, Christie’s, New York (May 22, 2024, lot 75) (fig. 7), https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2024/master-paintings/christ-carrying-the-cross     

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:  

The painting is set in a lovely antique frame and comes with a certificate of authenticity and a descriptive iconographic sheet.  

We arrange and organize the shipping of purchased works, both within Italy and internationally, using professional and insured carriers.  

If you would like to view this or other works in person, we would be delighted to welcome you to our new gallery in Riva del Garda, located at Viale Giuseppe Canella 18. We look forward to seeing you!  

Please contact us for any information or to schedule a visit; we’ll be happy to assist you.  

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