Christ Presented to the People (Ecce Homo)

Christ Presented to the People (Ecce Homo), created by Rembrandt van Rijn in 1655, is a masterful example of the artist’s work in the medium of printmaking. Executed using ink on delicate, handmade Japanese paper, this influential piece showcases Rijn’s technical skill, particularly his use of drypoint and etching techniques to achieve dramatic tonal variations and deep black shadows.

The subject, derived from the Gospel of John (19:5), depicts the critical moment Pontius Pilate displays the bound and scourged Christ to the clamoring crowd, urging their choice with the Latin phrase Ecce Homo ("Behold the Man"). Rijn emphasizes the political theater of the moment, contrasting the isolated, elevated figures of Christ and Pilate with the dense, often agitated, mass of onlookers gathered below the platform. The composition draws the viewer’s eye through the spatial depth of the public square, capturing the tumultuous atmosphere of the seventeenth-century Dutch Baroque style.

The subtle visual effects achieved on the rare Japanese paper were highly prized by Rijn, allowing for deeper blacks and more delicate gray tones than standard European papers. As one of the most significant and technically complex prints produced during the artist's late career, this powerful image remains a centerpiece of the Rijksmuseum's extensive collection of Rijn's graphic art. Its historical importance contributes to the numerous high-quality reproductions and fine art prints now available widely, ensuring that this masterwork is preserved for the public domain.