The Flagellation, from The Passion
Original title: The Flagellation, from The Passion
kurzbeschreibung
Christ is bound and beaten in this scene from the Passion, rendered by Lucas Cranach the Elder as a woodcut. The sheet is undated; its making is placed around 1509. Christ's suffering unfolds in a crowded, restless arrangement that lays out many small details for the viewer.
Description
Tied with a rope, Christ stands at the heart of the image, hemmed in by soldiers in conventional armour who strike him with whips and sticks. Some of his tormentors have settled on the ground or kneel, while other figures look on. The setting is an interior whose columns and walls carry coats of arms. Everything presses closely together and stays in motion; the violence against Christ dictates how the picture is built.
Context
The woodcut series on the Passion was probably made around 1509, when Cranach was working in Wittenberg. It belonged to a larger group of religious prints intended for use in churches and in private settings alike. The subject follows the accounts of the Gospels and the Passion iconography of its day.
Impact
A blunt, almost raw force comes off the sheet and pulls the viewer into the action. Tightly packed figures and clear lines heighten the drama of the suffering, with no ornamental distraction.
Technique
The work was produced in relief: the drawing is cut into a woodblock and then printed. Kept monochrome and evenly bright, the method allows for delicate lines and precise detail.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)