This compelling mid-17th-century German oil painting depicts Christ meeting the women of Jerusalem on the way to Calvary. 

Formerly hanging within an ecclesiastical setting, this enchanting survivor is one of 14 ‘Stations of the Cross’, this being number 8. Here, we see Jesus turning to speak to the women who accompany him, in a scene which is often debated among scholars.

[Luke 23:26-28] As they led him off, they made Simon, a man from Cyrene who happened to be coming in from the countryside, carry the cross behind Jesus. A huge crowd of people followed, along with women weeping and carrying on. At one point Jesus turned to the women and said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, don’t cry for me. Cry for yourselves and for your children.”

Is Christ, in a selfless act, offering compassion to those who weep for him and considering their suffering before his own? Or could it be a premonition relating to the darkness following his crucifixion?

An inscription running along the bottom refers to Jesus comforting Maria (or Mary), which is a little confusing as she's carrying children and wasn't one of women of Jerusalem. Research is ongoing with regard to this unusual nuance.

Held in a simple wooden frame, which is possibly original.

Medium: Oil on canvas
Overall size: 29” x 24” / 74cm x 61cm
Year of creation: c. 1650
Provenance: Private collection, Germany.
Condition: Craquelure throughout. Historic repairs. Darkening. The paint layer is stable. Frame with various marks and showing its age.
Our reference: BRV2019