The artwork titled “Christ Crowned With Thorns,” created by Horace Pippin in 1938, belongs to the Naïve Art (Primitivism) movement. It is a religious painting that depicts a profoundly evocative and poignant moment in Christian iconography.
In the artwork, Jesus Christ is presented half-length, gazing forward with an expression of stoic resignation and quiet dignity. He is adorned with a crown of thorns, an emblem of his sacrifice and suffering. The background is rendered in dark, somber tones that heighten the emotional impact of the scene, starkly contrasting with the light tones of Christ’s skin. His shoulders and upper chest are visible, draped in a dark garment. The simplicity and directness of the painting style, characteristic of Naïve Art, enhance its raw and unembellished emotional intensity.
