Man of Sorrows

Man of Sorrows from 1455 by Giovanni di Paolo depicts Christ displaying his wounds in a devotional image designed for meditation on the Passion. This image type was central to late medieval piety, encouraging the faithful to contemplate Christ's suffering Oil on canvas, increasingly preferred over panel in the sixteenth century, offered greater flexibility for large-scale compositions. Characteristic of Paolo's approach, the work displays lyrical, decorative, gold-accented, combining Gothic elegance with expressive narrative.

The isolated figure of the suffering Christ is rendered with Giovanni di Paolo's characteristic angular drawing and intense coloring, the gold ground creating an atmosphere of sacred timelessness.