← Marcantonio Raimondi Marcantonio Raimondi — The Flagellation: Pilate stands under archway on left watching two men flagellate figure of Christ tied to column, from "The Passion of Christ"

Marcantonio Raimondi — The Flagellation: Pilate stands under archway on left watching two men flagellate figure of Christ tied to column, from "The Passion of Christ"

The Flagellation: Pilate stands under archway on left watching two men flagellate figure of Christ tied to column, from "The Passion of Christ"

Original title: The Flagellation: Pilate stands under archway on left watching two men flagellate figure of Christ tied to column, from "The Passion of Christ", after Dürer

Artist: Marcantonio Raimondi
Date: ca. 1500–34
Medium: Engraving; second state of three
Dimensions: Sheet: 5 1/8 in. × 4 in. (13 × 10.1 cm)
Credit line: Gift of Henry Walters, 1917

kurzbeschreibung

Christ is bound to a column and whipped by two men while Pilate, stationed under an arch on the left, looks on. Marcantonio Raimondi's engraving of the Flagellation was made between 1500 and 1534 after a design by Albrecht Dürer. This impression is the second of three states and gives the Passion episode full prominence.

Description

Roped to a column, Christ stands barefoot in a plain robe as two men swing whips at him. On the left, beneath an arch, Pilate has taken his position, dressed in a robe and holding a sword. Two overseers appear behind the main group, and another figure stands beside the archway. The arrangement draws the eye to the scourging, while the accompanying figures stay recessed. Hatching and linework build light and shadow in a single tone.

Context

As part of a Passion series, Raimondi made this engraving after models by Albrecht Dürer, whose woodcut Passion scenes were widely known and served him as sources for reproductive prints. Raimondi ranks among the leading engravers of the Renaissance, admired for his faithful renderings of Italian and Northern European masters. The dating of around 1500–1534 falls in a period when he was working in Rome and collaborating with artists such as Raphael.

Impact

A clear narrative structure leads the viewer straight to the central action. Restrained coloring and precise lines create a grave, devotional mood suited to the Passion subject. Plainness and exact detail give the sheet a direct, insistent presence.

Technique

The print was produced by engraving: lines are cut into a metal plate and then printed on paper. The second of three states points to intermediate stages of work on the plate, as was customary in printmaking. Material and method allow for fine shading and an exact rendering of figures and architecture.

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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)