The Passion: The Flagellation

Goltzius situates his flagellation scene in an urban setting, rather than an open landscape; the compressed space serves to intensify the action. Bound tightly to a tall column, Jesus is whipped by two men, the one on the left wielding a leather whip tipped with barbs; the one on the right with bundled birch branches. Jesus’s body is powerfully muscled, but his face is anguished and gaunt. This engraving was included in a series of 12 prints by Goltzius illustrating the Passion of Christ, extremely popular during the artist’s lifetime and beyond, and inspiring many copies.