The Mocking of Christ

Bassano shared Titian’s enthusiasm for loose, energetic brushwork and play with the oil medium. Probably executed in collaboration with his son Francesco, this painting depicts an event on Good Friday leading up to the Crucifixion of Jesus. Here he is insulted and struck by angry members of the crowd, yet he refuses to fight back, revealing amazing self-control. Although this painting takes the format and grand scale of an altarpiece in a church, it may have been made for a private owner, to decorate a portego (main hallway) in a palazzo.