GENERAL DESCRIPTION
At the top right, Pontius Pilate looks with disdainful indifference toward the bloodied figure of Christ, who is being presented to the people of Jerusalem before his Crucifixion. This grandiose and monumental painting was probably an altarpiece for a church in Genoa. It was meant to appeal directly to the viewer’s emotions, inspiring empathy and reverence for Jesus’s suffering. The calm resignation on Christ’s face and his elegantly contorted body lit by a divine golden light stands in contrast to the agitated expressions of the other figures in the shadows. This juxtaposition suggests Christianity’s ultimate promise of eternal life after death.
Excerpt from
Julien Domercq, Label text (1969.16), 2020
NOTES
c. 1615-1620
Checked Piction
Ecce Homo- CONA entry- Note: Narrative or devotional scene based on the story in which Pilate has Jesus brought before the people outside, after having had him scourged, then asking the people if they wish to free Jesus or the criminal Barabas; the crowd calls for Barabas to be freed and Jesus crucified, and Pilate proceeds with the execution of Jesus. From John 19:4-6.
In southern Europe, 17th-century painters were called upon by wealthy patrons and the church to create dramatic works of art with clearly expressed religious themes. These paintings were devotional images which were placed in churches or private chapels in order to inspire worshippers or teach people the principles of Christianity.
Ken Kelsey, Gail Davitt, Mary Ann Allday, Barbara Barrett, and Troy Smythe, Art of Europe at the Dallas Museum of Art, Teaching packet (Dallas Museum of Art), 1994.
The striking figure of Jesus mocked by his enemies before his crucifixion is clearly modelled on antique prototypes. The frontal pose and contraposto twist of the body are similar to the DMA 4th c. B.C. Greek figure, though the painted figure of Christ slumps in tortured anguish. There is even a white light on the figure of Christ suggesting the marble radiance of Greco-Roman sculpture. The figure is ideally beautiful and without blemish, recalling that Jesus is both god and man.
Excerpt from
DMA thematic label copy (1969.16), Ancient Mediterranean and European Art, nd, Education files.
Procaccini's Ecce Homo is a grandiose depiction of the flagellated Christ presented by Pontius Pilate to the masses. Perhaps it is Pilate that we see at the upper left, his visage a study of disdainful indifference to the scene that transpires before him. The gestures and faces of the figures below, and the soldier at upper right, are intensely dramatic. They contrast starkly with the body of the suffering Christ, his head bowed in gentle acceptance of his fate. The exaggerated gestures, the peculiar pose of Christ, and the schematically angled compositional structure indicate the impact of mannerism, wherein late Renaissance aesthetics combine with the dramatic emotionalism and theatricality typical of the early Baroque period.
Dorothy Kosinski, DMA label copy, January 2003
All the ingredients of the mannerist style are gathered in this grandiose composition of the flagellated Christ being presented to the masses by Pontius Pilate. The expressions and postures of the figures surrounding Christ are intensely dramatic, their contorted faces contrasting with Christ's more serene expression. In the upper left, Pontius Pilate looks disdainfully over the emotional scene. Giulio Cesare Procaccini was one of the most influential artists of this period, especially in Milan and Genoa. He most likely executed this painting in Genoa, where, after closely studying works by the Baroque master Peter Paul Rubens, he transformed his style with a softer, lighter brushstroke. This painting belonged to the large and influential collection of the Genoese prince Giovanni Carlo Doria (1576-1625).
Bonnie Pitman, ed., "Ecce Homo," in Dallas Museum of Art: A Guide to the Collection (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2012), 151.
Procaccini's Ecce Homo is a grandiose depiction of the flagellated Christ presented to the masses by Pontius Pilate, whose visage, at the upper left, is a study of disdainful indifference. The wildly dramatic gestures and faces of the other figures contrast starkly with the suffering Christ, restrained by ropes, his face bowed in gentle acceptance of his fate. Christ's nude body—contorted with a physically impossible but not inelegant torsion—is bathed in a golden light.
Consistent with the spiritually instructive goals of ecclesiastical art of the Counter-Reformation, everything in this painting is intended to heighten its emotional charge and to underline especially the contrast between the noble pathos of Christ's suffering and the crude reactions of the surrounding figures. The exaggerated gestures and the peculiar contrapposto are telling indications of the mannerist style, which also informs the compositional structure. There is no illusion of deeply receding space; instead a complex set of overlapping geometries function within a shallow plane. These aesthetic characteristics of the late Renaissance are imbedded in an atmosphere of dramatic emotionalism and expansive theatricality typical of the early baroque. Ecce Homo, probably painted as an altarpiece for a church in Genoa, where Procaccini worked as of 1618, may be seen as a major monument of this artist's important contribution to baroque art in northern Italy.
Dorothy Kosinski, "Ecce Homo", in Dallas Museum of Art: A Guide to the Collection, ed. Suzanne Kotz (Dallas, TX: Dallas Museum of Art, 1997), 78.
5/13/2020- Covid-19 closure; Online sprint devoted to European galleries; Julien wrote or re-wrote 9 European object labels and has asked Emily Schiller to try to make this content available online by 5/17/2020. As with most content on the online collection, this text has not been edited by Queta. This text is the original draft from Julien and will be edited for interpretation standards and routed as a wall label in Fall 2020.
Online content prior to 5/13/2020:
Giulio Cesare Procaccini's Ecce Homo is a grandiose depiction of the flagellated Christ presented to the masses by Pontius Pilate, whose visage, at the upper left, is a study of disdainful indifference. The wildly dramatic gestures and faces of the other figures contrast starkly with the suffering Christ, restrained by ropes, his face bowed in gentle acceptance of his fate. Christ's nude body—contorted with a physically impossible but not inelegant torsion—is bathed in a golden light.
Consistent with the spiritually instructive goals of ecclesiastical art of the Counter-Reformation, everything in this painting is intended to heighten its emotional charge and to underline especially the contrast between the noble pathos of Christ's suffering and the crude reactions of the surrounding figures. The exaggerated gestures and the peculiar contrapposto are telling indications of the mannerist style, which also informs the compositional structure. There is no illusion of deeply receding space; instead a complex set of overlapping geometries function within a shallow plane. These aesthetic characteristics of the late Renaissance are imbedded in an atmosphere of dramatic emotionalism and expansive theatricality typical of the early baroque. Procaccini most likely executed this painting in Genoa, where, after closely studying works by the Baroque master Peter Paul Rubens, he transformed his style with a softer, lighter brushstroke. This painting belonged to the large and influential collection of the Genoese prince Giovanni Carlo Doria (1576-1625).
Adapted from
* Bonnie Pitman, ed., "Ecce Homo," in Dallas Museum of Art: A Guide to the Collection (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2012), 151.
* Dorothy Kosinski, "Ecce Homo", in Dallas Museum of Art: A Guide to the Collection, ed. Suzanne Kotz (Dallas, TX: Dallas Museum of Art, 1997), 78.
Procaccini, Giulio Cesare (Italian, 1574-1625)
Cultures
Geography
Place of origin: Milan (Italy): TGN: 7005903
Depicted location: Jerusalem (Israel): TGN: 7001371
Process/materials
Historical periods
Individuals
Subject terms
RELATED OBJECTS
PROVENANCE
AUDIO ASSETS
VIDEO ASSETS
IMAGE ASSETS
WEB RESOURCES
- ArtUK.org~View other works by Procaccini at ArtUK.
- National Galleries of Scotland~Read a brief biography of the artist from the National Galleries of Scotland.
ARCHIVAL RESOURCES
FUN FACTS
- The term ecce homo (behold the man) refers to the words found in John 19 verses 4-6 where Pilate, a Roman official, spoke when he presented Jesus and Barabbas to the crowd and asked which prisoner he should pardon, a custom before the feast of Passover. The crowd chooses to pardon Barrabas and crucify Jesus.
TEACHING IDEAS
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Apply to objects where number equals 1969.16
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General Description
At the top right, Pontius Pilate looks with disdainful indifference toward the bloodied figure of Christ, who is being presented to the people of Jerusalem before his Crucifixion. This grandiose and monumental painting was probably an altarpiece for a church in Genoa. It was meant to appeal directly to the viewer’s emotions, inspiring empathy and reverence for Jesus’s suffering. The calm resignation on Christ’s face and his elegantly contorted body lit by a divine golden light stands in contrast to the agitated expressions of the other figures in the shadows. This juxtaposition suggests Christianity’s ultimate promise of eternal life after death.
Excerpt from
Julien Domercq, Label text (1969.16), 2020
Fun Facts
- The term ecce homo (behold the man) refers to the words found in John 19 verses 4-6 where Pilate, a Roman official, spoke when he presented Jesus and Barabbas to the crowd and asked which prisoner he should pardon, a custom before the feast of Passover. The crowd chooses to pardon Barrabas and crucify Jesus.
Archival Resources
Web Resources
- ArtUK.org~View other works by Procaccini at ArtUK.
- National Galleries of Scotland~Read a brief biography of the artist from the National Galleries of Scotland.
Notes
c. 1615-1620
Checked Piction
Ecce Homo- CONA entry- Note: Narrative or devotional scene based on the story in which Pilate has Jesus brought before the people outside, after having had him scourged, then asking the people if they wish to free Jesus or the criminal Barabas; the crowd calls for Barabas to be freed and Jesus crucified, and Pilate proceeds with the execution of Jesus. From John 19:4-6.
In southern Europe, 17th-century painters were called upon by wealthy patrons and the church to create dramatic works of art with clearly expressed religious themes. These paintings were devotional images which were placed in churches or private chapels in order to inspire worshippers or teach people the principles of Christianity.
Ken Kelsey, Gail Davitt, Mary Ann Allday, Barbara Barrett, and Troy Smythe, Art of Europe at the Dallas Museum of Art, Teaching packet (Dallas Museum of Art), 1994.
The striking figure of Jesus mocked by his enemies before his crucifixion is clearly modelled on antique prototypes. The frontal pose and contraposto twist of the body are similar to the DMA 4th c. B.C. Greek figure, though the painted figure of Christ slumps in tortured anguish. There is even a white light on the figure of Christ suggesting the marble radiance of Greco-Roman sculpture. The figure is ideally beautiful and without blemish, recalling that Jesus is both god and man.
Excerpt from
DMA thematic label copy (1969.16), Ancient Mediterranean and European Art, nd, Education files.
Procaccini's Ecce Homo is a grandiose depiction of the flagellated Christ presented by Pontius Pilate to the masses. Perhaps it is Pilate that we see at the upper left, his visage a study of disdainful indifference to the scene that transpires before him. The gestures and faces of the figures below, and the soldier at upper right, are intensely dramatic. They contrast starkly with the body of the suffering Christ, his head bowed in gentle acceptance of his fate. The exaggerated gestures, the peculiar pose of Christ, and the schematically angled compositional structure indicate the impact of mannerism, wherein late Renaissance aesthetics combine with the dramatic emotionalism and theatricality typical of the early Baroque period.
Dorothy Kosinski, DMA label copy, January 2003
All the ingredients of the mannerist style are gathered in this grandiose composition of the flagellated Christ being presented to the masses by Pontius Pilate. The expressions and postures of the figures surrounding Christ are intensely dramatic, their contorted faces contrasting with Christ's more serene expression. In the upper left, Pontius Pilate looks disdainfully over the emotional scene. Giulio Cesare Procaccini was one of the most influential artists of this period, especially in Milan and Genoa. He most likely executed this painting in Genoa, where, after closely studying works by the Baroque master Peter Paul Rubens, he transformed his style with a softer, lighter brushstroke. This painting belonged to the large and influential collection of the Genoese prince Giovanni Carlo Doria (1576-1625).
Bonnie Pitman, ed., "Ecce Homo," in Dallas Museum of Art: A Guide to the Collection (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2012), 151.
Procaccini's Ecce Homo is a grandiose depiction of the flagellated Christ presented to the masses by Pontius Pilate, whose visage, at the upper left, is a study of disdainful indifference. The wildly dramatic gestures and faces of the other figures contrast starkly with the suffering Christ, restrained by ropes, his face bowed in gentle acceptance of his fate. Christ's nude body—contorted with a physically impossible but not inelegant torsion—is bathed in a golden light.
Consistent with the spiritually instructive goals of ecclesiastical art of the Counter-Reformation, everything in this painting is intended to heighten its emotional charge and to underline especially the contrast between the noble pathos of Christ's suffering and the crude reactions of the surrounding figures. The exaggerated gestures and the peculiar contrapposto are telling indications of the mannerist style, which also informs the compositional structure. There is no illusion of deeply receding space; instead a complex set of overlapping geometries function within a shallow plane. These aesthetic characteristics of the late Renaissance are imbedded in an atmosphere of dramatic emotionalism and expansive theatricality typical of the early baroque. Ecce Homo, probably painted as an altarpiece for a church in Genoa, where Procaccini worked as of 1618, may be seen as a major monument of this artist's important contribution to baroque art in northern Italy.
Dorothy Kosinski, "Ecce Homo", in Dallas Museum of Art: A Guide to the Collection, ed. Suzanne Kotz (Dallas, TX: Dallas Museum of Art, 1997), 78.
5/13/2020- Covid-19 closure; Online sprint devoted to European galleries; Julien wrote or re-wrote 9 European object labels and has asked Emily Schiller to try to make this content available online by 5/17/2020. As with most content on the online collection, this text has not been edited by Queta. This text is the original draft from Julien and will be edited for interpretation standards and routed as a wall label in Fall 2020.
Online content prior to 5/13/2020:
Giulio Cesare Procaccini's Ecce Homo is a grandiose depiction of the flagellated Christ presented to the masses by Pontius Pilate, whose visage, at the upper left, is a study of disdainful indifference. The wildly dramatic gestures and faces of the other figures contrast starkly with the suffering Christ, restrained by ropes, his face bowed in gentle acceptance of his fate. Christ's nude body—contorted with a physically impossible but not inelegant torsion—is bathed in a golden light.
Consistent with the spiritually instructive goals of ecclesiastical art of the Counter-Reformation, everything in this painting is intended to heighten its emotional charge and to underline especially the contrast between the noble pathos of Christ's suffering and the crude reactions of the surrounding figures. The exaggerated gestures and the peculiar contrapposto are telling indications of the mannerist style, which also informs the compositional structure. There is no illusion of deeply receding space; instead a complex set of overlapping geometries function within a shallow plane. These aesthetic characteristics of the late Renaissance are imbedded in an atmosphere of dramatic emotionalism and expansive theatricality typical of the early baroque. Procaccini most likely executed this painting in Genoa, where, after closely studying works by the Baroque master Peter Paul Rubens, he transformed his style with a softer, lighter brushstroke. This painting belonged to the large and influential collection of the Genoese prince Giovanni Carlo Doria (1576-1625).
Adapted from
* Bonnie Pitman, ed., "Ecce Homo," in Dallas Museum of Art: A Guide to the Collection (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2012), 151.
* Dorothy Kosinski, "Ecce Homo", in Dallas Museum of Art: A Guide to the Collection, ed. Suzanne Kotz (Dallas, TX: Dallas Museum of Art, 1997), 78.
Procaccini, Giulio Cesare (Italian, 1574-1625)
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