Christ before Pilate, Rembrandt van Rijn, 1635
etching, h 547mm × w 447mm More details
After his arrest, Christ was crowned with thorns, cloaked in a purple robe and mocked as ‘King of the Jews’. The high priests brought him to the Roman governor Pontius Pilate, who did not wish to sentence him to death. Rembrandt represents his dilemma masterfully. Pilate refuses to take his rod – a traditional sign of judicial sovereignty – because he is unwilling to pass judgement.
