The Passion: The Flagellation
1480
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1480
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
The Passion: The Flagellation is a 1480 by Martin Schongauer, a Renaissance work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
You see Jesus tied to a column while four men raise sticks to beat him. The scene is packed with bodies, every face twisted in anger or pain. Schongauer carved this image into metal so it could be printed again and again. That’s why his version spread across Europe—other artists copied it like a viral meme. The men’s ugly faces weren’t just cruel; they were meant to shock viewers into feeling Christ’s suffering. Look up *chiaroscuro* to see how light and shadow make these figures pop off the page.
