1597
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Dominant colour
Passion Set: Christ before Pilate is a 1597 by Zacharias Dolendo, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
This black-and-white print shows a crowded scene with a bearded man in a long robe at the center. Around him, soldiers in armor and helmets stand or kneel, some holding spears. A few figures in fancy clothes watch from a raised platform in the background. The man in the robe seems to be speaking or gesturing, while others look tense or listen closely. The print’s detailed lines and shading create a sense of depth, making the figures look three-dimensional. The artist used cross-hatching—lots of crisscrossed lines—to build up shadows and textures, especially on the armor and faces. Next, look up chiaroscuro to see how this technique works in other artworks.
Zacharias Dolendo (1561–1601) was a Dutch engraver. He was the brother of Bartholomeus Dolendo, whom he surpassed both in style and in correctness. He was born at Leyden in 1561, and is said by Huber to have been a…
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