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The Stations of the Cross are a devotional practice which originated in the early
centuries of the Christian Church. Pilgrims who could not walk the "Way of the Cross"
in Jerusalem, were able to simulate this pilgrimage as they viewed a series of images
which depicted the events of the Crucifixion (the Passion narrative.) In subsequent
centuries the Passion narrative became a major subject for artists as well as musicians,
although many artists (notably, Rembrandt and Durer) did not attempt to create a
complete set of Stations.
Parker's Stations panels depict Christ's Journey to the Cross with
contemporary figures rendered in muted browns. The gold paint of the background
evokes the icon tradition, while the deep red of the outer panels calls to mind
the rich colors of Medieval images.
Old Testament texts at the bottom of each panel are passages traditionally considered
to "prefigure" the Passion. The sole New Testament text, for the Crucifixion, is
the Christ Hymn from Philippians.
Parker's focuses in these paintings on Christ's strength in the face of suffering
and the intimacy of his encounters with others on his Via Dolorosa.
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