Monday, June 12, 2023

One of the Most Famous Paintings in Florence: Ecce Homo (Behold the Man), by Antonio Ciseri.

"I bring him forth to you, that ye may know
I find no fault in him. Behold the man!"
    The words of Pilate
    in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's Ecce Homo

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As noted in a previous post, the Palazzo Pitti in Florence is a massive structure housing 1000 rooms of paintings, sculptures and more. Every room has paintings on its domed ceilings as well as stunning art on its walls. Look up as you walk the hallways lined with sculptures on pedestals. Every ceiling is a mini Sistine Chapel.

I mention all this because, like my visit to the National Gallery in Parma, and the Uffizi on the East side of the Arno River, it isn't long before one's senses become anesthetized by it all.

And yet, even while in this benumbed state, there are encounters in which your jaw drops, your mind snaps to alertness, and you find yourself unexpectedly and profoundly moved. That was the feeling that swept over me when I came around a corner and stood face to face with Antonio Ciseri's Ecce Homo.

I was familiar with the painting because it is one of the paintings that was used as an illustration in the 1954 Revised Standard Version of the Bible that I received after my fourth grade Sunday school year. When you look at a reproduction little larger than a post card, you have no idea regarding the scale of what you are seeing.

The actual painting is oil on canvas, more than 13 feet wide and 9 feet tall. It purportedly took Ciseri twenty years (1871-1891) to complete. Its size alone makes it striking. The composition and execution are superb. (The image at the top of this page is a detail of the central portion as you can see below.)

Ecce Homo (Behold the Man) -- 13.7' x 9'

What this painting depicts is a scene in the life of Jesus, as recorded in the New Testament. The man in the white robe with outstretched arm is Pontius Pilate, the fifth Roman prefect of Judaea, who served under Emperor Tiberius from 26 to 36 AD. He's best known, however, for being the official who presided over the trial of Jesus and ultimately ordered his crucifixion. There were other controversial aspects of his career while ruling in Judaea, but the most significant is the one depicted here, the trial and crucifixion of Jesus. 

This National Geographic was on the 
magazine stand at the Florence airport
the day I left Italy to fly home.
Jesus, the son of a carpenter from Nazareth, became a teacher who spoke in parables about the kingdom of God and performed miracles. For claiming to be the Messiah he was arrested by the Jewish authorities and brought before Pilate on charges of blasphemy. 

After an examination, Pilate found no fault in Jesus, but he was pressured by the Jewish leaders to have him crucified even though he did not see Jesus as a threat to the Roman empire. Pilate eventually caved in to the pressure, had Jesus flogged and gave the order to have him put to death.

In a somewhat ironic twist that galled the Jewish rabbis who pushed him into this situation, Pilate had a sign affixed to Jesus' cross that read "King of the Jews." 

Ciseri portrays Jesus on Pilate's left, stripped to the waist and wearing a crown of thorns after being mocked and flogged. This critical moment in both of their lives is described in all four Gospel narratives, though the statement "Behold the man" is only found in John's account. In response, the crowd--as can be seen in the painting--has been stirred into a frenzy, shouting, "Crucify! Crucify!" and "We have no king but Caesar!"

To the left of Jesus we see the Roman guards who ushered him in for this presentation to the crowd. To the right of Pilate we see some of the Jewish leaders who engineered this moment, stating that he was subverting the nation.

If you're wondering who the two women are, the one with her back to the scene is the wife of Pilate and the woman alongside is her handmaiden. The significance here is that Pilate's wife had had a dream of foreboding and sent her husband a message saying, "have nothing to do with that righteous man." The faces on the women are portrayed with downcast expressions, their hands reaching out to comfort one another. Pilate's wife has her back turned to this tragedy.**
 
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Antonio Ciseri is not the only artist to have painted this scene. This moment was of such significance that numerous artists have invested their time, talent and imaginations to capture it. Here are three versions, the first by Caravaggio. The second (below it) is by Ludovico Cardi in 1607, and the third by Mikhail Munkacsy.

Ecce Homo--Caravaggio (1605-1610)
Ecce Homo--Ludovico Cardi, 1607
Christ before Pilate --1881 Mihaly Munkacsy

Ciseri's painting was controversial when it was first exhibited. Some critics accused him of being too literal in his interpretation of the scene, and of failing to capture the spiritual essence of the moment. Nevertheless, the painting has since been praised for its realism and its powerful emotional impact.

For an interesting look at the painting's major details, check out this YouTube video. The Monumental Ecce Homo by Antonio Ciseri. Even if you do not understand a word--it's in Italian--you can watch the manner in which the camera glides to the various details and key features of the piece.
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I think it interesting that two of the most widespread statements of Christian faith make reference to this critical encounter between Roman authority and "the man Christ Jesus." Both The Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed are trinitarian in structure, underscoring a unique central tenet of the Christian faith: the Godhead as three-in-one.  

Here are the links:
The Apostles' Creed  (est. 5th century)
and the Nicene Creed (381 A.D.)

**According to ChatGPT, the historical records do not provide us with the name of Pontius Pilate's wife. The New Testament of the Bible, specifically the Gospel of Matthew, mentions that Pilate's wife sent him a message while he was presiding over the trial of Jesus, urging him to have nothing to do with "that righteous man" because she had suffered greatly in a dream because of him (Matthew 27:19). 

Related Links

Tennyson's Ecce Homo
https://www.poetrynook.com/poem/8-ecce-homo 

Previous Blog Posts About My Italy Adventure
Initial Impressions
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