Flagellation of Christ

Piero della Francesca's Flagellation is one of the most puzzling works of the early Renaissance. It depicts the moment when Christ is whipped by Roman soldiers, yet the scene unfolds in a calm, open colonnaded space of sober, geometric architecture, where the commotion is barely visible. In the right foreground, three figures seen from behind or in profile talk quietly, seemingly unaware of what happens behind them. This division into two halves, one of action and one of stillness, has inspired many differing interpretations of its meaning, and the rhythm of its volumes and proportions reveals the painter's fascination with perspective and the mathematical construction of space. The light, clear and even, seems to come from the viewer and unifies both zones. The date of execution remains debated, though most scholars place it around 1458-1459. The artist's signature, with his hometown, Borgo Santo Sepolcro, appears on the base of the throne. The panel was admired by major critics in the twentieth century and was stolen in 1975, then recovered the following year.

Painter

Piero della Francesca

Date

1459

Medium

tempera, poplar panel

Dimensions

68 × 91 cm

Museum

Galleria Nazionale delle Marche, Urbino

Movement

Early Renaissance

Genre

religious art

Depicts

Flagellation of Christ, Jesus Christ, man

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