Ecce Hommo 1650s

Luca Giordano painted this Ecce Homo, ‘Behold the Man’, sometime in the late 17th century. It depicts the biblical scene of Pontius Pilate presenting Christ to a hostile crowd in Jerusalem. Giordano was active in Naples, Rome, and Florence, where he absorbed many influences, but the theatrical drama and lurid realism in this painting seem especially characteristic of Neapolitan art. Consider the leering faces in the crowd, or the twisted, suffering figure of Jesus, displayed like an object in a niche. What does it mean to show religious subjects with such overt sensationalism? Perhaps it reflects a popular appetite for spectacle, or a growing skepticism toward authority. Looking at paintings like this can tell us a great deal about social attitudes, but to understand them fully, we need to place them in the context of their time. Scrutinizing historical documents, contemporary writings, and the biographies of artists allows the historian to build a deeper understanding of art and culture.