Artwork
The Flagellation
The Flagellation is an oil painting by the Northern Renaissance artist Master of the Berswordt Altar. It dates from 1400 and is held in the collection of the Fitzwilliam Museum.
About this work
Overview
The Flagellation is a tempera panel painted circa 1400, attributed to the anonymous Master of the Berswordt Altar, an active painter in the Dortmund area during the transition from the 14th to the 15th century. The work portrays the biblical episode of Christ’s scourging and is part of the collection of the Fitzwilliam Museum.
Subject & Meaning
At the centre of the composition stands a naked figure crowned with thorns, supported by three attendants. One hooded figure pulls the victim’s arm, another holds a bundle of rods, while a third kneels with a whip, suggesting the ritual of flagellation described in the New Testament. The scene is rendered with restrained emotion, emphasizing solemnity over drama.
Technique & Style
Executed in tempera on panel, the painting employs a flat gold ground typical of early Northern Renaissance devotional images. The figures are rendered with a stiff, linear quality, their drapery and anatomy simplified, reflecting the stylistic conventions of the period and region.
History & Provenance
The Master of the Berswordt Altar is linked to several commissions in Westphalia, notably an altar in Dortmund’s Marienkirche. Although the artist’s identity remains unknown, the work’s attribution rests on stylistic parallels with those documented pieces. It entered the Fitzwilliam Museum’s collection in the 20th century, where it remains on display.
Context
During the late medieval period, gold backgrounds were a common device in German religious painting, symbolising the heavenly realm and providing a luminous backdrop for sacred narratives. The Flagellation aligns with contemporary devotional practices that emphasized contemplation of Christ’s suffering.
Artist & collection
Artist
The Master of the Berswordt Altar (sometimes called the Master of the Crucifixion in the Marienkirche at Dortmund) was a German painter active in the area around Dortmund during the 14th and 15th centuries.
