Who painted The Flagellation?

The Flagellation was painted by German 15th Century in 1490.

Where can I see The Flagellation?

The Flagellation is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is The Flagellation?

The Flagellation is associated with Renaissance.

Artwork

The Flagellation

German 15th Century , 1490

The Flagellation is an ink print by the Renaissance artist German 15th Century. It dates from 1490 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

The work is a woodcut print executed in dark brown tones, later enhanced with hand‑applied colors of vermilion, gray‑blue, purple, peach, and tan. The composition centers on a figure being scourged, flanked by two attendants. The setting includes a peach‑hued wall and a blue‑tinted archway, framing the dramatic scene.

Subject & Meaning

The image portrays a flagellation, a motif common in religious and moralizing art of the period, showing a man in a white robe speckled with brown being whipped by two figures dressed in red and white. The stark contrast between the victim’s pale garment and the vivid hues of the tormentors underscores the tension between innocence and suffering.

Technique & Style

Created through woodcut, the artist incised the design into a block, printing it in a uniform dark brown before applying selective hand‑coloring. The limited palette of vermilion, gray‑blue, purple, peach, and tan adds dimensionality and highlights focal points, illustrating the Renaissance interest in combining printmaking precision with painterly coloration.

Context

Flagellation scenes were popular in Renaissance devotional prints, serving as visual meditations on penance and martyrdom. The use of vivid hand‑color on a woodcut reflects the period’s demand for affordable yet visually rich religious imagery, often circulated among private devotional contexts.