Spanish school; second third of the XVII century.
"Ecce Homo.
Oil on canvas. Relined.
It presents slight jumps on the edges.
Size: 56 x 39 cm.
In this devotional canvas, painted for an altar or private chapel, the theme of Ecce Homo is represented, very common in this type of paintings. Of simple and clear composition, with the face of Christ in the foreground, the absence of narrative details deepens the expressive power and pathos, designed to move the soul of the faithful who pray before the image, within a tremendist sense very typical of the baroque in Catholic countries. The theme of Ecce Homo belongs to the cycle of the Passion, and precedes the episode of the Crucifixion. Following this iconography, Jesus is presented at the moment when the soldiers mock him, after crowning him with thorns, dressing him in a purple tunic (here red, symbolic color of the Passion) and placing a reed in his hand, kneeling and exclaiming "Hail, King of the Jews!". The words "Ecce Homo" are those pronounced by Pilate when presenting Christ before the crowd; their translation is "behold the man", a phrase by which he mocks Jesus and implies that Christ's power was not such in front of that of the leaders who were judging him there. Formally this work is dominated by the light treatment, very contrasted and dramatic, based on a spotlight that falls directly on the figure of Christ.
The piece faithfully follows the guidelines of Baroque naturalism, defined by the work of Antonio de Pereda y Salgado (Valladolid, 1611-Madrid, 1678), which stood out for the use of an aesthetic of naturalistic and tenebrist character, interested in a palette similar to that developed in Venice. Thus, visually dominates the light treatment, very contrasted and effective, based on a spotlight that falls directly on the figure of Christ, creating expressive effects of chiaroscuro and leaving the rest in semi-darkness, on a dark and neutral background that further enhances the physical presence of the character. The chromatism also derives directly from these models and is therefore based on a restricted and warm palette, enormously nuanced, of ochre, earthy and carmine tones.