Man of Sorrows - Ecce Homo (recto)

Princes Gate bequest, 1978

Wrists bound, Christ is presented to the crowd before his Crucifixion. Soldiers mock Christ’s claim of authority by adorning him with a crown of thorns and a robe, and placing a reed in his hand, mimicking a royal sceptre. Anthony van Dyck was Peter Paul Rubens’s most talented assistant. Aged 22, he travelled throughout Europe, settling for a few years in Italy. This preparatory sketch on paper dates from that period. It reveals the influence of the great Venetian painter Titian, who often depicted Christ close up to make his presence feel more immediate.