The Mocking of Christ

A man uses a forked stick to place a crown of thorns on Christ's head. He also pulls his hair. Another man places a reed stick in Christ's hands. The stick is meant to represent a scepter, an attribute of kings just like the crown. In this way, the King of the Jews is ridiculed.

The man in the upper left wears a jester's cap, a hat with bells. The presence of this jester reinforces the mocking effect.

The torch is the only source of light. It illuminates Christ's body primarily, and the faces to a lesser extent. The man holding the torch shields his face with his other hand. Note how beautifully the light falls over the folds of the clothing.

Gerard van Honthorst created at least two other depictions of this scene (here's one of them). This canvas ended up in the museum in Los Angeles via the Ahmanson Foundation.