Flagellation of Christ & Entombment of Christ (A Pair)

A powerful pair of early 16th-century devotional paintings depicting two pivotal moments from the Passion of Christ: his Flagellation and his Entombment.

Attributed to the workshop of Hans Leonhard Schäufelein, a significant Bavarian painter and printmaker and a pupil of Albrecht Dürer, these works reflect the expressive intensity and narrative clarity of the early German Renaissance.

The first scene shows the Flagellation of Christ, rendered with unflinching directness. Christ stands bound at the centre, his body marked by suffering, as Roman soldiers carry out the punishment ordered by Pontius Pilate. The emotional force of the image lies in its stark immediacy, Christ’s endurance set against the physical energy of his tormentors.

The second painting moves from violence to stillness. Christ is shown being lowered into the tomb, his body wrapped in linen, surrounded by mourners including the Virgin Mary and Mary Magdalene. In accordance with the Gospel of John, Joseph of Arimathaea and Nicodemus assist in the burial, carefully lowering the body into a rock-hewn sarcophagus.

Together, the two works form a meditative sequence: suffering followed by silence, brutality followed by grief. Presented within their original-style gilded frames, each with a sloping base, the scenes are staged almost theatrically, inviting the viewer into a space of contemplation and emotional engagement.

Provenance: Private Collection Germany

Please note: Dimensions are per painting; price is for the pair