Ecce Homo

Andrea Mantegna's Ecce Homo shows the moment when Jesus, after the flagellation and mockery, is presented to the crowd that demands his crucifixion. Mantegna depicts him half-length, frontal and in the foreground, filling almost the entire picture: his bound hands rest over his wounded chest, a rope is around his neck held by an executioner outside the frame, and he wears the crown of thorns, with the marks of the whipping visible. His gaze is sorrowful yet calm, and the light surrounding him sets him apart from a background largely lost in shadow. On either side stand accusers rendered with a harsh, almost grotesque realism that recalls Flemish painting and, by contrast, emphasizes Christ's resigned suffering. Above them are Latin inscriptions echoing the crowd's shouts, such as 'crucify him', and on the figure to the left a text in pseudo-Hebrew. The work has been linked to Leonardo da Vinci's stay in Mantua and his studies of facial expression in distorted, evil faces. The painting is in exceptional condition, with no later repainting, which allows the precision of the drawing and the matte quality of the colours to be fully appreciated.

Painter

Andrea Mantegna

Date

1500

Medium

tempera, canvas

Dimensions

54 × 72 cm

Museum

Musée Jacquemart-André, Paris

Genre

religious art

Depicts

Jesus Christ, man

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