The Flagellation, from The Passion

Prolific engraver and copyist Israhel van Meckenem produced this original Passion series without recourse to prints by contemporaries such as Martin Schongauer or Master E. S. Although these prints are compositionally complex, his figures remain rooted in the Gothic style. This sensibility is particularly evident in the violence of the Flagellation scene, in which Christ’s torturers wield their implements vehemently. A much-collected series, The Passion survives in at least 40 complete sets, some hand colored and some even gilded.