The Bearing of the Cross

1580s

Andrea Andreani after Alessandro Casolani

Associated Names
Andrea Andreani

Artist, Italian, 1558/1559 - 1629

Alessandro Casolani

Artist After, Sienese, 1552 - 1606

This is a drawing of a group gathered around a central figure carrying a cross. The scene depicts multiple figures dressed in period clothing, gathered tightly in a circular composition. The central figure is kneeling holding a cross, while others around him express a mix of concern, effort, and tension. Strong lines and shading emphasize the intensity of the scene, highlighted by a monochromatic scheme. The artist's technique uses cross-hatching and outlines to convey texture and emotion, drawing attention to the array of expressions and postures within the composition.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    chiaroscuro woodcut printed from three blocks: black line block and two tone blocks in shades of green-brown on laid paper

  • Credit Line

    Gift of Ruth B. Benedict

  • Dimensions

    sheet (trimmed to borderline): 31.1 x 23.2 cm (12 1/4 x 9 1/8 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1994.60.1

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Bartsch, Vol. 12, p.42, no. 21, State trimmed without the lettering

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Dr. Ruth B. Benedict (1913-1993), Washington; bequest to NGA, 1994.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1994

  • A Discerning Eye: Prints and Drawings Given by Ruth B. Benedict, National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1994, no. 5.

Bibliography

1802

  • Bartsch, Adam. Le peintre graveur. 21 vols. Vienna, 1802-1821: Adam. Le peintre graveur. 21 vols. Vienna: J.V. Degen, 1802-1821.

1994

  • A Discerning Eye: Prints and Drawings Given by Ruth B. Benedict. Exh. cat. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1994: no. 5.

Inscriptions

by later hand, lower left verso in graphite: 11-21

Wikidata ID

Q75122056

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