Scourging of Christ 1680 - 1719

Benoit Thiboust created this engraving, "Scourging of Christ," a scene laden with symbolic weight, as a powerful emotional and theological statement. Christ's bound wrists and the tormentor's whip immediately convey suffering and injustice, universal symbols of the Passion. Consider the flayed Marsyas from ancient myth, whose skin was removed as punishment for hubris. This motif of suffering at the hands of a torturer carries through time. Similarly, the image of the bound Christ resonates with the psychological power of victimhood seen across cultures. The column in the background, a fragment of classical architecture, also becomes a symbol of the pillar against which Christ was scourged. In time, the symbol evolves to one of strength and resilience. The image's enduring impact resides in its capacity to engage us on a deeply subconscious level, provoking introspection about sacrifice, power, and the cyclical nature of suffering and redemption.