Annibale made this brutal depiction of Christ crowned with thorns shortly after suffering a catastrophic mental breakdown, from which he never fully recovered. No longer able to cope with large-scale painting commissions, he devoted himself almost exclusively to drawings and prints. In this period, his works are affecting and intimate—seemingly expressing the depths of his despair. Here, Jesus is shown in a state of anguish. Annibale’s use of insistent parallel lines for the background creates an inescapable, claustrophobic space, while squiggling lines on his tormentor’s forearms add nervous energy to the brutality that Jesus calmly endures. source: artsmia.org
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