The artwork “The Flagellation of Christ” is a religious painting by the eminent artist Peter Paul Rubens. Created with oil on panel, the artwork is a notable representation of the Baroque art movement. It measures 37.4 by 35.1 cm and is currently housed in the Museum of Fine Arts in Ghent, Belgium.
In the artwork, Rubens captivatingly conveys the intense emotion and physical drama of the moment. Christ stands at the center, bound and leaning on a column, the focus of brutal punishment administered by his captors. Behind him, one tormentor grips a bundle of twigs, poised to strike, his musculature taut with exertion, carving a sense of movement into the somber scene. On the opposite side, another figure twists toward Christ in a grim display of aggression, his arm raised, wielding an instrument of flagellation. Rubens’s adept use of chiaroscuro enhances the urgency and brutality of the scene, casting deep shadows and highlighting the sinewy forms of the aggressors and the suffering figure of Christ with violent contrasts of light and dark. The emotional gravity of the scene is amplified by Christ’s pained expression, a focal point amidst the chaos of the flagellation. This somber and powerful work is a testament to Rubens’s ability to evoke pathos and drama, anchoring the remarkable painting within the Baroque tradition, emphasizing the intense spirituality and emotional depth characteristic of the period.
