Christ after the Flagellation contemplated by the Christian Soul

Image credit: The National Gallery, London

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Tied to a column, Christ has collapsed to the floor. His limp body, tilted head and pained expression show his exhaustion and suffering. Velázquez shows the moment after the Flagellation, when Christ was flogged by Roman soldiers – we can see the sticks and whip they used lying in the foreground. The brutality of this assault is implied by trickles and spots of blood on Christ’s body and the column.

Kneeling beside Christ is a young boy representing the Christian Soul and its Guardian Angel. The angel gently directs the boy to consider the suffering of Christ, and a ray of light radiates from Christ’s head towards the boy’s heart.

In the seventeenth century worshippers were encouraged to meditate on Christ’s Passion (his torture and crucifixion) and to imagine that they were present at the events leading up to the Crucifixion.

The National Gallery, London

London

Title

Christ after the Flagellation contemplated by the Christian Soul

Date

probably 1628-9

Medium

Oil on canvas

Measurements

H 165.1 x W 206.4 cm

Accession number

NG1148

Acquisition method

Presented by John Savile Lumley (later Baron Savile), 1883

Work type

Painting

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The National Gallery, London

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