The Way to Calvary

One of two paintings depicting the Passion of Christ, hanging on the north wall of the presbytery. The rectangular painting depicts a multi-figure scene of Christ carrying the cross to Calvary.

In the foreground, on the left, a group of weeping women with Saint Veronica, and a small dog jumping beside them – a symbol of betrayal and anger. Desperate Mary and weeping John have halos. Kneeling Veronica holds a cloth, Simon of Cyrene helps carry the cross. On the right corner, small boys mock Christ. In the center of the composition, Christ with a crown of thorns, bending under the weight of the cross, is kicked and abused by his tormentors. One of them threatens the convict with a hammer. There is visible aggression, anger, mockery, pushing, kicking – a soldier’s foot steps on Jesus’ thigh, who is dragged by a rope. In the background, beyond him, is a crowd of soldiers, from which an official figure on horseback emerges (Pilate?).

The background of the scene consists of a city wall with a round tower, symbolizing Jerusalem. In the distance, the road to Calvary is visible, where poles from a previous execution stand, with a torture wheel used to break someone. The sky has a greenish-blue hue with white clouds. The overall color scheme predominates in beige, enlivened with vermilion red and cool green, with white accents. The signature, a winged serpent separating the date digits “15”/”27″, is in the lower left corner, on a square plate lying on the ground. The only indication of the Middle Eastern setting is the turban on the head of the main high priest. Next to him, someone in royal ermine – perhaps Herod Antipas.

The painting, from an unknown retable, was located in the church in Sielsko, in the estate of the von Borck family until 1945. During the war, it was hidden in the attic of the rectory, where it remained until 1966. From there, it was taken by Fr. Inf. R. Kostynowicz to the cathedral in Kamień Pomorski.