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March’s Museum Bum of the Month – “The Flagellation of Christ” (1475) by Luca Signorelli

Posted on 4th April, 2023

A close-up of “The Flagellation of Christ” (1475) by Luca Signorelli

“The Flagellation of Christ” was painted by Luca Signorelli to adorn the walls of the Confraternita dei Raccomandati di Santa Maria del Mercato church in Fabriano, Italy. The church was destroyed and the painting now hangs in the Pinacoteca Brera, in Milan.

We can see Jesus being whipped and flogged as part of the Passion of the Christ, the events leading up to his death and resurrection, which are celebrated at Easter. Despite its brutal nature, this scene is one that is frequently depicted in Western Christian art. It allows artists to flex their skills in terms of portraying the human form in motion as well as showing off techniques around anatomy and musculature.

Signorelli’s version of events is quite the opposite of gruesome. The body of Christ is immaculate, with nary a sign of the whips having any impact whatsoever. Indeed the torturers themselves are posed in ways that show off their muscles and ability to stretch! The peek-a-boo loincloths all around are suggestive too, and suggests that the artist is being a bit cheeky with his gaze. The whole scene looks more like a Bacchic revel than anything else!

The full version of “The Flagellation of Christ” (1475) by Luca Signorelli