Jheronimus Bosch ca. 1450 – 1516

The Crowning with Thorns

oil on panel (74 × 59 cm) — 1485 or later Museum The National Gallery, London

Jheronimus Bosch biography

This work is linked to Mark 15:17

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Also known as Christ Mocked. Quietly Jesus endures torture and ridicule. His eyes show compassion. He looks straight at the viewer.

Hieronymus Bosch shows Jesus in a white robe, perhaps because white is a more innocent color than the purple mentioned in the Bible.

White may also have been chosen as it is a neutral color amidst the strong colors of the four mocking men.

The entire panel is filled with persons, which results in a claustrofobic effect.

A yellow crescent moon and a yellow star can be detected on the red head-dress. They symbolize Islam and Judaism, marking the man as an enemy of Christianity.

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