Station of the Cross No. 6: "Veronica RendersService to Jesus" c. 1936

Geoffrey Holt, sometime between 1855 and 1995, made this gouache and graphite depiction of the 6th Station of the Cross. There’s a beautiful flattening of space and form in this piece, and it brings to mind art-making as a process of distillation. Look at the way Holt layers the figures, one in front of the other, and how the colours bleed into each other like watercolours. This gives the scene a dreamlike quality, as if the artist is trying to remember the event. Veronica’s gesture rendering service to Jesus is especially poignant. Notice the softness of the brushstrokes and how the colour palette gives a sombre mood with the deep reds, blues, and browns. Holt's treatment is reminiscent of early Renaissance frescoes. The raw honesty and emotional depth remind me of Giotto. Like Giotto, Holt seems less concerned with perfect representation and more interested in capturing the essence of the story. Ultimately, the painting leaves us to reflect on faith, compassion, and human suffering.