Foreword

by the artist, Alberto Bertuzzi

This Way of the Cross grew out of an idea of Brother Bernard Couvillion, who developed the theme of each station by relating the steps in Christ’s climb up Calvary to social realities in today’s world.

We studied together and agreed upon the essential elements of each station. My contribution, beyond doing the actual painting, was to use principles of iconography, composition, and pictorial allegory to convey visually in the most relevant way possible the ideas suggested to me.

To accomplish the work, I set about re-reading the Gospels and doing documentary study about the realities I would be presenting. This became for me a deep personal reflection which brought me closer to the drama of Christ’s passion in a way I had never experienced, reliving it in ordinary life, aware that the common denominator is always and everywhere the reality of suffering.

I must add that I have always been opposed to commenting on my paintings because I believe that a painting should communicate on its own what it means; any form of explanation limits the message, conveyed in images which lose their universality when confined by words.

I am convinced that the language of a painting can touch the heart more immediately and more deeply than any other medium.

The comments which follow, therefore, are not intended to “explain” what each painting means, but only to illustrate certain allegorical elements in their composition.