Bottega di Carlo Dolci (1616 - 1687)

Workshop of Carlo Dolci (1616 - 1687) Ecce Homo Oil on canvas, 28 x 24 cm – Frame 56.5 x 52 Ebonized frame with sculpted moldings The work presented here, probably intended for a private place of devotion, for contemplation and prayer, due to its size and subject matter, depicts Christ as Ecce Homo in half-length, with the crown of thorns, a red cloak on his shoulders, and a reed cane, a precise reference to the Gospel passage of Matthew (27, 27-31). The face is suffering, the gaze lowered, the mouth slightly open, and the forehead marked by visible drops of blood. The delicate light and the pronounced chiaroscuro highlight the soft features of the face and the brightness of the complexion, enhancing the devotional character of the image. Given the interesting quality, the painting is to be attributed to a painter from the close Florentine workshop of Carlo Dolci (1616-1687). The theme was very dear to the master, who treated it in numerous paintings, as shown by the Florentine examples of Palazzo Pitti (1646, initially owned by Cardinal Carlo de' Medici; and a workshop piece), that of Pommersfelden, and that of a private collection in Modena. The closest reference to indicate for the canvas in question is that of the Ecce Homo now in the collection of Palazzo Corsini in Rome, a work dated to the early 1670s, also based on stylistic comparison with the Magdalene of the English royal collections, signed and dated 1670. The theme of Ecce Homo (from the Latin "Behold the man") refers to the moment when Christ, after the flagellation, is shown to the people by Pontius Pilate with the words "Ecce Homo" (John 19:5). It is a highly devotional representation, designed to invite the faithful to meditate on the suffering of Christ. The crown of thorns, the blood, and the red cloak symbolize the sacrifice and spiritual kingship of Jesus. Ecce Homo is a subject that evokes deep pity in observers, especially if, as in this case, the painter has deliberately highlighted the signs of the Passion, such as the trickles of blood caused by the crown of thorns and clotted on the forehead. During the Counter-Reformation period, numerous works were executed with this pietistic subject, and in Florence, in particular, painters such as Cigoli and Passignano specialized in this genre; this iconographic tradition was not lost over time, as demonstrated by the various versions made by Dolci.