4227 - after Frans Francken the Younger, "Ecce homo"

after Frans Francken the Younger, "Ecce homo" Christ, wearing a crown of thorns and holding a sceptre, is presented by Pontius Pilate to the crowd, who are mocking him; executed in a refined style reminiscent of the artists of the 16th/17th-century ‘Prague School’; the painting incorporates various elements from different depictions - for instance, the figure of the Lord wearing a hat appears in a comparable work by Frans Francken the Younger (now in the Museo del Prado, Madrid, Inv. No. P001519), whilst a work with a similar composition, also by Francken (likewise in the Museo del Prado, Madrid, Inv. No. P001521), though executed in a different style; the artist must have been familiar with both works, which have been documented in Madrid since at least 1741, oil on copper plate, unsigned, on the reverse bearing biographical information on Frans Francken II and an old paper label reading ‘Royal Prussian District Court of Eckartsberg’, old retouching visible under UV light, signs of age, in a black frame with gold rosettes in the corners, slightly bumped, inner dimensions 39 x 27.5 cm.