Ecce Homo [verso] c. 1440 - 1450

This is a woodcut of the Ecce Homo, or "Behold the Man," made in Europe at an unknown date. The image depicts the biblical scene of Jesus presented to a crowd before his crucifixion. Here, Jesus is shown bloody and crowned with thorns, but the presentation of the figures, their garments, and the architectural space around them tells us a lot about how the story was understood in its own time. The use of linear perspective and the relative naturalism of the bodies places it in a tradition of western art focused on realism. The image may comment on the social structures of its time, particularly on the relationship between religious authority and the common people. To understand this image better, we can look at other artworks from the same period, examine theological texts, and investigate the social and political context in which it was created. In that way, we can begin to understand its message and its role in the culture that produced it.