Christ as the Man of Sorrows c. 15th century

Curator: This is a piece entitled "Christ as the Man of Sorrows," made by a follower of Martin Schongauer. It resides here at the Harvard Art Museums and is rendered in ink. Editor: The starkness of the ink underscores the somber mood. The composition, with Christ flanked by angels, feels very formal and symmetrical, adding to the gravity. Curator: The "Man of Sorrows" is a powerful devotional image. It presents Christ displaying his wounds, a symbol of his suffering and sacrifice, resonating with the viewer's own pain. The angels act as empathetic witnesses. Editor: And the stark contrast between the delicate lines of the angels' robes and the harsher, more angular rendering of Christ's body emphasizes his physical torment, doesn't it? The materiality here is so important. Curator: Absolutely. The image distills the complex theology of salvation into a raw emotional experience. It's a potent symbol of hope born from pain. Editor: Seeing this image, I now perceive a potent example of suffering rendered through such deliberate formal choices. Curator: It’s a reminder of the enduring power of symbols to connect us to shared human experiences.