Hieronymus Bosch, The Crowning with Thorns
ca 1490-1500Paintings sorted by Historical period | Painter | Subject matter | Pigments used
Overview
‘The Crowning with Thorns’ is a depiction of another biblical scene (John 19:1-3) with the tormentors of Christ painted in close detail which was rather unusual in Bosch’s time.
The painting was thoroughly investigated by The Bosch Research and Conservation Project. The results of this investigation were published in a magnificent book referenced in the section “Recommended Books” below. An extensive interactive online feature at the website of the project complements the book and shows all the images from the book in high resolution.
The pigment analysis reveals a limited palette consisting of the usual pigments employed in the Renaissance period, such as azurite, lead-tin yellow, vermilion, verdigris, and the less often employed red lead.
Medium: Oil
Support: Oak
Size: 73.8 × 59 cm
Art Period: Renaissance
National Gallery London
Inventory number: NG4744
IRR-Investigation of this painting in the National Gallery in London is described as a case study on the website of the OPUS INSTRUMENTS (1).
Biblical Story
John 19:1-3
Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him.
And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe,
And said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him with their hands.
Pigments
Pigment Analysis
This pigment analysis is based on the work of the scientists at the National Gallery in London (1) and The Bosch Research and Conservation Project (2). The scientists employed x-ray radiography (XRR), infrared photography (IRP), and infrared reflectography (IRR) to gain insights into the inner layers of the painting and to identify the pigments.
1 White robe of Christ: lead white with some areas tinted with a little red lake and black.
2 Christ’s red-brown hair and beard: vermilion with black, white, and a little red lake.
3 Face paint of all figures: underlayer of lead white with some black and earth pigments (yellow ochre?) in varying quantities for each face. The second layer consists of pinkish paint and is applied in the lighter areas of the faces. The top layer is a brownish glaze with some detailing with vermilion and red lake.
4 Green robe: base from verdigris and lead-tin yellow and a top layer of verdigris glaze.
5 Metall point of the crossbow bolt: lead white and blue with a little black.
6 Red hood (chaperon): red lead and vermilion with added powdered colourless glass.
7 Blue dress: azurite.
8 Brighter red robe: undermodelling of lead white containing blue pigment and red lake overpainted with a red lake.
9 Dark grey background: lead white with a fine black pigment.
References
(1) Lorne Campbell, Christ Mocked (The Crowning with Thorns), in: Lorne Campbell, National Gallery Catalogues: The Sixteenth Century Netherlands Paintings, with French Paintings before 1600, London 2014, pp. 144–161.
(2) Luuk Hoogstede, Ron Spronk, Matthijs Ilsink, Robert G. Erdmann, Jos Koldeweij, Rik Klein Gotink, Hieronymus Bosch, Painter and Draughtsman: Technical Studies, Yale University Press, 2016, pp. 216-221.
Pigments Used in This Painting
Resources
See the collection of online and offline resources such as books, articles, videos, and websites on Hieronymus Bosch in the section ‘Resources on Painters‘
PowerPoint Presentations
Painter in Context: Hieronymus Bosch
A richly illustrated presentation on the painting technique and pigments employed by Hieronymus Bosch specially crafted for Art Education. (Number of Slides = 20)
- Each presentation starts with the basic resources on the painter such as his biography, main catalogs of his paintings, and a bibliography.
- Next, you find slides describing the painting technique of the artist and the pigments he usually employed in his work.
- The majority of the slides show examples of paintings containing the specific pigments.
Slides showing the basic resources on the life and works of the Northern Renaissance painter Hieronymus Bosch.
The painting technique and all pigments employed by Bosch are shown in the next slides.
The majority of the slides show important examples of paintings where Bosch employed specific pigments. The slides are organized according to the color of the pigments.
Videos
Video: 'Christ Mocked' by National Gallery London
Publications and Websites
Publications
(1) Matthijs Ilsink, Jos Koldeweij, Hieronymus Bosch: Painter and Draughtsman – Catalogue raisonné, Yale University Press, New Haven and London 2016, pp 260-267.
This book is also available online in pdf format in two parts: part I and part II.
(2) Luuk Hoogstede, Ron Spronk, Matthijs Ilsink, Robert G. Erdmann, Jos Koldeweij, Rik Klein Gotink, Hieronymus Bosch, Painter and Draughtsman: Technical Studies, Yale University Press, 2016, pp. 216-221.
(3) Lorne Campbell, Christ Mocked, in Lorne Campbell, The Sixteenth Century Netherlandish Paintings, With French Paintings Before 1600, National Gallery Catalogues, 2014, pp. 144-61.
(4) BBC Two, The Secret Life of Paintings, revealed by Lady Wedgwood. A series of explorations into the hidden meanings of five paintings. 1: ‘Christ crowned with thorns’ by Hieronymus Bosch, 4 October 1986.
Websites
Website of the Bosch Project
Website of the Bosch Research and Conservation Project
