Jheronimus Bosch and his art represent a unique phenomenon in art history. From the medieval language of symbols and imaginative interpretation, he forged a highly original vision dominated by religious themes with moralizing messages. As a composition, the Bearing of the Cross is as unusual as it is audacious. The picture plane is filled with nothing but heads, devoid of volume or spatial effects. Good and Evil are juxtaposed here. The serene faces of Christ and Veronica are points of calm amid the chaos. The grotesque mugs are at once caricatured and life-like. The expressive types illustrate the corruption and stupidity of mankind. As a study of human facial expressions, this work is unparalleled. In its palette, technique and iconography it is an apotheosis of Bosch’s artistic originality. The Bearing of the Cross is not only a unique creation in Bosch’s oeuvre, but it also stands as a work unlike anything seen in European painting of the period around 1500.
