Kaisheimer Altar: Dornenkrönung Christi

Hans Holbein the Elder painted this Crown of Thorns for the Kaisheim Altar in 1502. The mocking of Christ with the crown of thorns was one of the most humiliating episodes in the Passion. Holbein's treatment of the torturers and the patient Christ demonstrates his gift for psychological characterization. The tempera medium required careful preparation on a gessoed panel and a disciplined layering technique that produced precise, durable surfaces suited to the intricate detail expected of devotional painting.

Oil on panel with dramatic interaction between Christ and his tormentors. Holbein's ability to contrast the suffering dignity of Christ with the brutality of the soldiers creates powerful emotional effect.