Mocking of Christ
Medium
Pen and brown ink with brush and brown wash, on tan laid paper, squared in red and black chalk, laid down on ivory laid paper
Dimensions
14.8 × 16.5 cm (5 7/8 × 6 1/2 in.)
Classification
ink with wash
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
84606
Art Historical Context
Giovanni Battista Castello, a prominent Genoese Mannerist artist (1529–1569), created this poignant drawing *Mocking of Christ* in1562. Depicting the biblical scene from the Passion where Christ is derided by Roman soldiers, it captures the emotional intensity of the moment through dynamic figures and expressive gestures. Castello, influenced by Michelangelo and active in the courts of Genoa and Rome, bridged Renaissance naturalism with Mannerism's elegant distortions, making this work a fine example of his draftsmanship. Executed in pen and brown ink with brush brown wash on tan laid, the dr...