Passion Altarpiece: Christ, Carrying the Cross, meets Veronica

Hans Raphon was a painter active in Hildesheim around 1499-1510, known primarily for this Passion altarpiece cycle. This panel showing Christ carrying the cross meeting Veronica reflects the devotional emphasis on Christ's suffering that characterized Northern German piety in the pre-Reformation era. The encounter with Veronica, who wiped Christ's face, produced the legendary image of the Holy Face.

Oil on panel with detailed narrative composition in the Lower Saxon tradition. The processional scene combines emotional intensity with the descriptive detail typical of late Gothic German painting.