The Flagellation 1425 - 1450

"The Flagellation," created by an anonymous artist sometime between 1425 and 1450, depicts the biblical scene of Jesus being scourged by Roman soldiers. The work is a small-scale, richly colored drawing on paper, employing a simplified, almost childlike style. The composition focuses on Jesus, whose body is covered in blood and whose face is contorted in pain. The figures of the tormentors are less detailed, their actions suggested rather than realistically depicted. The image is intended to evoke both the suffering of Christ and the violence of his Passion, with the bright colors adding to the emotional intensity of the scene. This small artwork, typical of the 15th-century devotional image, may have been intended for private meditation.