It is attributed to Geertgen tot Sint Jans and in the tradition of the devotional images of the "Man of Sorrows", which typically show Christ before his crucifixion, naked above the waist, bearing the wounds of his Passion.

[8] The gesture was earlier identified by art historian Alois Riegl as evoking an "external unity" where Christ's gaze becomes one with the viewer's world.

[9] Art historian Wouter Slob writes that Christ's expression "confronts the contemporary viewer with the consequences of His sinning; the blood, splashing from the panel, flows because of his guilt.

[3][12] Angels dressed in white robes, their eyes swollen with tears, carry the remaining Arma Christi, including the lance, Holy Sponge and the three nails from the cross.

According to art historian John Decker, medieval "sermons and devotional tracts encouraged the faithful to study the broken body of Christ, to tally his wounds, and to bear always in mind that humankind's various sins caused each injury.

"[15] The scene allowed viewers "opportunities to interact empathetically with sacred history"; and encouraged contrition and penitence,[16] an approach reflected in works by Rogier van der Weyden, later adopted by Geertgen.

[18] Mary has a large tear pouring down her cheek, which art historian Moshe Barasch describes as "painted with subtle shadows to give it material substance, with reflections and a highlight to make it transparent and shiny", and compares its rendering to that of jewelry or glass.

[19] The panel shows Christs tortured body at his resting place on Calvary, still carrying the torment of his wooden cross, his knees buckling from its weight.

His arms are heavily lacerated by what appear to be whip marks, and he weakly raises his right hand to display the deep wound to his side, where according to scripture, he was pierced by a lance after his death on the cross.

He praised the description of the Virgin, especially her face and hands, and described the depiction of the Magdalene as "realistic...with such carefully observed shadows" and "among the masters best work".

[24] Panofsky, although he generally admired Friedländer's analysis, disagreed strongly, and in a 1927 treatise on Netherlandish depictions of the "Man of Sorrows" wrote, "As, however, all the seemingly haphazard composition lines lead with compelling force to the face of the Savior, which, lifted out of the image, focuses its large, tearful eye on us, the sum of all the sorrows which he suffers, and all of the mourning that is suffered for him, now appears to besiege us.

The Man of Sorrows is thought to have been created as part of a series of small paintings for the Haarlem Commandery of the Knights of St John, a group of works that explore a range of human emotions.