Bartolomeus van Bassen, around 1590 Antwerp - 1652The Hague, Bartolomeus van Bassen, around 1590 Antwerp - 1652The Hague THE SLAGGLATION OF CHRIST

Oil on copper plate. 70 x 88cm

Report from Dr. Klaus Ertz, Lingen, May 11, 2022

In the center of a large, palatial interior is the seated Jesus, bare-chested. His wrists are tied and with a sad look and his head slightly bowed, he looks at a man crouching in front of him who hands him a mocking scepter. Behind him are various henchmen and a soldier in shining armor who is about to place the crown of thorns on his head. Particularly striking on the right is a standing henchman wearing a fur robe. On the right side of the background the view falls into a light-flooded corridor. In the background on the left, a group of armed men are approaching, while Pontius Pilate is probably looking down on the flagellation on a balcony to the left above the men.
According to Ertz, the magnificently dressed figures on the left edge of the picture with their outstretched legs and the floor tapering like a chessboard towards the background create a three-dimensionality and depth. Both the lighting of the composition and the arrangement of the columns and views testify to Bartolomeus van Bassen's excellent perspective skills.
Bartolomeus van Bassen was a Dutch architect and painter of the Baroque period and an important representative of the Dutch Golden Age. He gained particular fame as the city architect of The Hague and builder of the palace of Frederick V of the Palatinate in Rhenen. He was already a successful painter during his lifetime, devoting himself primarily to architectural perspectives and interior views of churches. Oil on copper plate. 70 x 88cm