Ecce Homo - Flemish Master - Oil On Panel -16th Century

"Ecce Homo"
Flemish Master
Circle of Dieric Bouts (1448-1491)
Oil on panel
Period: 16th century
Painting: 38 x 30 cm
Frame: 46 x 36 cm

Painting on panel depicting the face of Christ disfigured by suffering, his head crowned with thorns in the most traditional image of the "Ecce Homo."
His gaze is dull, with red, tear-filled eyes, a resigned expression after the atrocious torments.
Christ was scourged and mocked after receiving a crown of thorns on his bleeding head. Pilate presents him to the crowd, horribly disfigured by the tortures he had endured, uttering the famous words "Ecce Homo."
It is one of the most representative and revered Christian depictions in ancient painting, which saw the great masters from all over Europe try their hand at creating it. Among these, Spanish, German, and Nordic painters, especially the Flemish, stand out for their intensity and dramatic realism.
This impressive painting is a classic example of 16th-century Flemish painting, strongly influenced by Spanish art, and embodies the pictorial characteristics of these two great schools.
The artist, working between Haarlem and Antwerp in the early 16th century, draws inspiration from the paintings of Quentin Massys and Dieric Bouts, considered the greatest Flemish interpreters of this subject. The distinctive position of the hands echoes some of Dieric Bouts's works.
Despite its imperfections, the painting is in good condition considering its age, and the painted surface has been consolidated with a primer.
The very evident crack is striking and makes the work even more fascinating.