The Passion: Christ Before Pilate
c. 1480
Martin Schongauer
Martin Schongauer (German, c.1450–1491)
Prints
The Passion: Christ Before Pilate, c. 1480. Martin Schongauer (German, c.1450–1491). Engraving; The Cleveland Museum of Art, Leonard C. Hanna, Jr. Collection by exchange 1958.409 Martin Schongauer's series of the Passion of Christ was his largest set of engravings, made around 1480, and extensively copied across Europe. It consists of twelve prints detailing the suffering of Christ in the last days of his life. Schongauer's version focuses on crowded scenes, grotesque physiognomies of Christ's tormentors, and great pathos in the composition. Here, Christ is led before Pontius Pilate. The Roman governor washes his hands in water which a servant is pouring from a ewer into a basin. Right after, he orders Christ's crucifixion. The dog in this scene likely refers to late medieval Passion literature, which often compared Christ's tormentors to dogs.
- Maker/Artist
- Schongauer, Martin
- Classification
- Formatted Medium
- engraving
- Medium
- engraving
- Departments
- Prints
- Accession Number
- 1958.409
- Credit Line
- Leonard C. Hanna, Jr. Collection by exchange
- Exhibitions
- Prints and Drawings from the Cleveland Museum of Art Collection, Old Master Prints and Drawings, Eight Masters of the Print, Sacred and Profane in Late Gothic Prints
- Rights Statement
- CC0
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