Ecce homo painting antonio ciseri

While it is not the best-known painting among art writers and historians, Antonio Ciseri’s Ecce Homo is an undeniably beautiful and powerful piece. By examining this painting with all its beauty and grandeur, we can come to see how it is not only a delight for our eyes, but also a wonderful aid for the strengthening of our faith. 

This oil painting nearly has the quality of a photograph, manifested by the folds in the bright clothing, the color and definition in the faces of each person on the balcony, the intricate carvings on the massive column outside, and the miniscule figures in the distance.

Unlike medieval art, whose primary aim was to communicate religious truths, Ciseri tried to portray a historical scene the way he would have seen it had he been present. 

Ciseri cleverly divided his composition into thirds, framing the light between the columns with shadows to the left and right, which is reminiscent of the triptych altarpieces