Ecce Homo (Caravaggio, Madrid)
| Ecce Homo | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Artist | Caravaggio |
| Year | 1605–1609 |
| Dimensions | 86 cm × 111 cm (34 in × 44 in) |
| Location | Prado (Madrid)[1] |
Ecce Homo is a painting presumed to be created by Michelangelo Merisi de Caravaggio between 1605 and 1609. It depicts the ecce homo. At the beginning of an auction in April 2021, the painting was attributed to someone associated with Jusepe de Ribera;[2][3] the auction was halted after the government of Spain was notified that there was evidence for the artwork having been made by Caravaggio. It is now in the Prado in Madrid.[4]
Description[edit]
The artwork depicts Jesus Christ and Pontius Pilate in a scene of the ecce homo, a passage in the Bible during which Jesus is presented to crowds before his crucifixion.[2] In the painting, Jesus is bleeding and wearing a crown of thorns. Pontius Pilate is in front of him; another person holds a red robe behind Jesus.[5] The painting measures 86 by 111 cm.[3]
History[edit]
The creation of the painting is dated from 1605 to 1609.[2] The painting was brought from Italy to Spain in the same century, where it is believed to have remained in the Spanish royal collection, before it was sold or given to the politician Evaristo Pérez de Castro during the invasion of Spain by France in the Peninsular War, after which it remained in his family's collection in Madrid.[5] The family put the painting up for auction in April 2021 for €1500 euros ($1774 dollars), where it was attributed to an associate of Spanish painter José de Ribera. The Spanish government then halted the auction after being notified by art experts of the possibility that the painting was created by Caravaggio.[4][6][7][2] It was placed on display in the Museo del Prado in Madrid on May 27, 2024.[5]
Attribution[edit]
While it was being auctioned, the Ecce Homo was attributed to an unknown artist associated with Ribera, who mimicked Caravaggio's style of painting.[8] The painting is now mainly attributed to Caravaggio, an Italian painter who died in 1610.[9] The artwork has been identified as his due to details such as brush strokes,[10] the painting's size, and its similarity to other works of Caravaggio.[8] Maria Cristina Terzaghi, an art history professor at Roma Tre University, cited Christ's head and torso and the “three-dimensional nature of the three figures" in the painting as evidence for Caravaggio having made the Ecce Homo.[11] Terzaghi found the color of the robe in the painting to be similar to that of another painting by Caravaggio that depicts Salome with the head of John the Baptist;[12] she also found the painting similar to works of Caravaggio such as Madonna of the Rosary. The painting's attribution has been disputed by some scholars such as Nicola Spinosa, who believes that the artwork was painted in Caravaggio's style, but is not an authentic work of his.[8]
See also[edit]
- Ecce Homo, a different painting by Caravaggio of the same name
- List of paintings by Caravaggio
References[edit]
- ^ Plummer, Robert (27 May 2024). "Newly verified Caravaggio goes on show in Madrid". Retrieved 27 May 2024.
- ^ a b c d Giles, Ciarán (6 May 2024). "Spain's Prado Museum confirms rediscovery of lost Caravaggio. Painting will be unveiled May 27". AP News. Retrieved 27 May 2024.
- ^ a b Jones, Sam (6 May 2024). "Lost Caravaggio that almost sold for €1,500 to go on show at Prado in Madrid". Retrieved 27 May 2024.
- ^ a b "Lost Caravaggio Painting Unveiled at the Prado". TheCollector. 2024-05-07. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
- ^ a b c Guy, Jack (28 May 2024). "Lost Caravaggio goes on display after almost being sold at auction for just $1,600". CNN. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
- ^ "Newly verified Caravaggio goes on show in Madrid". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
- ^ Jones, Sam (2024-05-06). "Lost Caravaggio that almost sold for €1,500 to go on show at Prado in Madrid". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
- ^ a b c Davis-Marks, Isis (13 April 2021). "Baroque Painting Almost Sold for €1,500 May Be a Caravaggio Worth Millions". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
- ^ Langdon, Anthony (2003-01-01), "Caravaggio", The Oxford Companion to Western Art, Oxford University Press, doi:10.1093/acref/9780198662037.001.0001/acref-9780198662037-e-464, ISBN 978-0-19-866203-7, retrieved 2024-05-29
- ^ Tondo, Lorenzo; Jones, Sam (23 April 2021). "'Damn, this is a Caravaggio!': the inside story of an old master found in Spain". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
- ^ "Spain unveils 'lost Caravaggio' that nearly sold for 1,500 euros". Al Jazeera. 27 May 2024. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
- ^ Wertheimer, Tiffany (8 April 2021). "Caravaggio: Spain stops auction over possible long-lost masterpiece". BBC. Retrieved 3 June 2024.