The significance of the Via Crucis and its artistic development in Malta

Abstract

The cult of the Via Crucis is especially practised by the faithful during lent. The images of its various cycles assist the faithful in their prayer, allowing them to perceive and experience the suffering that Jesus Christ went through for the salvation of mankind. Although these representations may not today attract attention and are invariably considered as part of a church's decoration, an important development in the artistic element of this cult can be appreciated. The different stations of a cycle of the Via Crucis relate to Jesus Christ's footsteps along the way towards calvary/golgotha. They may not reflect the same exciting elements as do some titular or other altarpieces in churches, yet scenes from the passion have been the subject for masterpieces by important artists for centuries, for instance the Crucifixion, The Descent from the Cross and the Entombment (Figure 1).