The Flagellation
15th century
Medium
Woodcut, hand-colored
Dimensions
sheet: 4 1/4 x 3 11/16 in. (10.8 x 9.4 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of James Clark McGuire, 1930
Accession Number
31.54.135
Tags
Art Historical Context
Behold *The Flagellation*, a poignant 15th-century German woodcut, hand-colored for vivid effect. This anonymous print captures the biblical scene of Christ being scourged by tormentors, a pivotal moment the Passion narrative symbolizing human suffering and divine sacrifice. Rendered on a modest sheet measuring just 4¼ x 3⅝ inches, its intimate scale invites close contemplation, evoking the personal devotion of late medieval worshippers. Woodcuts like this one revolutionized art accessibility in Northern Europe during the Gothic era. Carved in relief on wooden blocks and printed on paper, the...