Bolognese School (17th Century) - Tondo Of The Flagellation

Oil on re-stretched canvas.

This austere tondo depicting the Flagellation is firmly rooted in the long tradition of Bolognese classicism established by the Carracci, in which the brutality of the martyrdom is tempered by exemplary rigor and restraint. Far from Tenebrist drama or unbridled violence, the scene unfolds with an almost musical cadence, a play of rhythm and gestural patterns in which Christ’s suffering anatomy serves as a serene focal point against the dynamic display of his tormentors. The composition’s structure rests on three powerful, sinuous lines arranged in parallel: the twist of the whip on the left, the slight helical tilt of Christ’s body bound to the column, and the pronounced contrapposto of the executioner on the right. This tripling of synchronized curves lends the small format a mathematical harmony and sculptural elegance, transforming the pain of the Passion into a deliberate exercise in formal balance with undeniable academic roots.

- Dimensions of the unframed image: 39 x 38 cm