Italian school of the XVII century. Lot n° 30

Italian school of the XVII century. "Ecce Homo". Oil on canvas. Painted on both sides. Measurements: 86 x 67,5 cm. The theme of Ecce Homo belongs to the cycle of the Passion, and precedes the episode of the Crucifixion. Following this iconography, Jesus is presented at the moment when the soldiers mock him, after crowning him with thorns, dressing him in a purple tunic (here red, symbolic color of the Passion) and placing a reed in his hand, kneeling and exclaiming "Hail, king of the Jews!". The words "Ecce Homo" are those pronounced by Pilate when presenting Christ before the crowd; their translation is "behold the man", a phrase by which he mocks Jesus and implies that Christ's power was not such in front of that of the leaders who were judging him there. Formally, this work faithfully follows the guidelines of baroque naturalism, defined by the work of Caravaggio and his followers. Thus, visually dominates the light treatment, very contrasted and effective, based on a spotlight that falls directly on the figure of Christ, creating expressive effects of chiaroscuro and leaving the rest in semi-darkness, on a dark and neutral background that further enhances the physical presence of the character. The chromatism also derives directly from Caravaggist models, and is therefore based on a restricted and warm palette, enormously nuanced, of ochre, earthy and carmine tones.