Three Stages of the Passion: The Mockery, Christ before Pilate, Flagellation
Classification
figures
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Museum purchase through gift of various donors
Accession Number
1901-39-2860
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Francesco Coghetti (1804–1875), a prominent Italian painter active in Rome, created *Three Stages of the Passion: The Mockery, Christ Pilate, Flagellation* around 1848. This work captures pivotal moments from the Passion of Christ— the mocking of Jesus by Roman soldiers, his trial before Pontius Pilate, and the brutal flagellation—depicting intense human drama and suffering. Coghetti, trained in the neoclassical tradition but embracing Romantic expressiveness, often explored religious and historical themes, infusing his figures with emotional depth and dynamic composition. Produced amid the t...