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Joseph of Arimathea Before Pilate

Simon Beningabout 1525–1530

The J. Paul Getty Museum

The J. Paul Getty Museum
Los Angeles, United States

And behold, there was a man named Joseph, who was a member of the Council, a good and righteous man (this one had not consented to their counsel and doings) of Arimathea, a city of Judea, who also himself waited for the kingdom of God. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. (Luke, 23:50-52)

Kneeling in the center, Joseph of Arimathea man pleads with Pontius Pilate, who stands on the left in a magnificent brocade robe. Simon Bening contrasted Pilate's imperious stance, hand on hip and staff of office raised, with Joseph's posture of humility. Pilate stands beneath the arch of an imposing stone facade reaching up to the miniature's top frame, while a serene town, the open blue sky visible above, serves as a backdrop for Joseph and his companions. Bening thus divided the illumination into two halves, using body language and setting to increase the viewer's compassion for Joseph's cause.

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  • Title: Joseph of Arimathea Before Pilate
  • Creator: Simon Bening
  • Date Created: about 1525–1530
  • Location Created: Bruges, Belgium
  • Physical Dimensions: Leaf: 16.8 × 11.4 cm (6 5/8 × 4 1/2 in.)
  • Type: Folio
  • External Link: Find out more about this object on the Museum website.
  • Medium: Tempera colors, gold paint, and gold leaf on parchment
  • Terms of Use: Open Content
  • Number: 83.ML.115.311v
  • Culture: Flemish
  • Credit Line: The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, Ms. Ludwig IX 19, fol. 311v
  • Creator Display Name: Simon Bening (Flemish, about 1483 - 1561)
  • Classification: Manuscripts (Documents)
The J. Paul Getty Museum

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