Why it matters
Christ droops at the column, not because it looks graceful, but because a torturer is kicking the back of his knee while another grips his hair. Caravaggio reduced the scene to a shallow stage, giving it an acutely observed reality.
Did you know?
- It was painted in 1607 and possibly reworked in 1610.
- It was commissioned for a chapel in San Domenico Maggiore in Naples.
- It moved to Capodimonte in 1972.
Based on the Wikipedia article The Flagellation of Christ (Caravaggio) (CC BY-SA 4.0).
