The Mocking of Christ

Although clearly related to the sequence of drawings for the three-figure Ecce Homo of 1647, this study reduces the scene to Christ and a leering soldier. It is executed in a refined and finished technique, perhaps an indication that this drawing was conceived as a finished work in its own right. Guercino tended to keep his preparatory studies together in the workshop to use as inspiration for later paintings. The fact that this sheet has a different provenance than the Morgan's other drawings of the subject may indicate, however, that it was a special work for a collector. -- Exhibition label: Guercino, virtuoso draftsman, Morgan Library & Museum, 4 October 2019-2 February 2020.