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Christ Crowned with Thorns

German 15th Century

1470

paint

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Renaissance Renaissance Religious

Dominant colour

Christ Crowned with Thorns is a 1470 paint by German 15th Century, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: German 15th Century
When & what style?: 1470 · Renaissance
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This image shows a rough, hand-colored scene with four figures. One man sits in the center with a crown of thorns on his head, looking down. Two others stand on either side—one holding a staff, the other a small object. The background has simple trees and a fence-like border with yellow and green patterns. The colors are flat and bright, with lots of yellow and brown. The artist used a metalcut method, which means the lines are sharp and the colors were added by hand later. Next, look into the Renaissance movement to see how this style fits into broader art history.