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A black line drawing of a figure stretched out as if fallen, with the number 3 beneath it.

Station 3: Jesus Falls the First Time

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Henri Matisse
Date:
1951
Medium:
Black enamel brushwork on ceramic panel

Visual Description:
Station 2, positioned second from the left in the mural’s lowest row, is approximately four tiles high and three tiles wide. It is intended to show Jesus carrying the cross on which he will die by crucifixion. A lone figure representing Jesus appears to stride toward the right. Behind him, two lines loosely form the shape of a cross, which he carries over his far (left) shoulder. Although partially obscured from view by his body, the heavy weight of the cross is expressed by his hunched form and the steep angle of the cross.

BMA

A black line drawing of a figure stretched out as if fallen, with the number 3 beneath it.
Henri Matisse. Detail of The Stations of the Cross, Chapel of the Rosary, Vence. All copyright-protected works by Henri Matisse © 2025 Succession H. Matisse / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Photo: © Musée Matisse Nice/François Fernandez