The Flagellation 

This woodcut of the Flagellation was made by Ludwig of Ulm in the late 15th century. The central figure, Christ, endures scourging, a prefiguration of his crucifixion. Note the instruments of torture: a whip and a bundle of birch branches. The birch, an ancient symbol of purification and renewal, takes on a cruel irony here. We see echoes of Dionysian rites, where frenzy and purification were intertwined. Consider Botticelli's "Mystic Nativity," where similar branches symbolize a world purged of its sins through Christ's birth. Yet, here, they are agents of pain. These motifs recur throughout art history. They are not linear; they loop and spiral. Such symbols tap into collective memory, resurfacing in dreams and art alike. The emotional power of this image comes from its raw depiction of suffering, a visceral engagement with the viewer that transcends time. The image of flagellation returns again and again, evolving in meaning, but always retaining its primal intensity.