INRI: ‘Christ before Pilate’ by Rembrandt (1636)
The indefinable Rembrandt Van Rijn (1606 – 1669) has made his mark in history more through his etchings than his paintings. His scratches and scribbles; his bizarre variety of lines from loose to quick, cross hatched to deep and from dark to blotty have succeeded in depicting the world through its black and white beauty . Rembrandt’s needle like a quill weaved waves of life and creativity. His secret weapon was the dry point technique. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RM0qlQ0lyBc )
One of the most powerful prints composed by Rembrandt is undoubtedly ‘Christ before Pilate’. Rembrandt wiped the ink differently each time he printed thus creating several renditions of one image. The plural scene is set with limpid fusion and high emotional intensity. Contrary to Michelangelo, Rembrandt was not obsessed with the muscular. His style is boundless representing the human being in all ages, statures and conditions. They are subtle and yet complex; detailed and yet bare; grouped and yet isolated. But like the musicians of an orchestra Rembrandt’s drawings symphonise to form one unique song of art.
The lyrics of today’s etching however are piercingly paradoxical. The hailing hosannas have now stifled to the callous ‘Crucify-Him’. The theatre in which the tragic scene unfolds is a stone-clad Roman courtyard, teeming with life. To our left we notice an arched gateway through which pours in an amorphous, anonymous assembly displaying various stages of analysis, anticipation and agitation.
The gesticulating crowd is so grand that it does take an effort to disentangle them for their many individualizing gestures. They prowl over each other and climb up the base of the obelisk surmounted by the bust of a Roman Emperor in order to bear witness to the spectacle set before them. Soldiers are seen mitigating the mob with spears even as a young beardless general lifts up his hand in an attempt to pacify the magnifying multitude now reduced to a minute suffrage.
The asymmetrical scene flows into a sharp spiral in the foreground. To our left are gathered a group of political Pharisees and scheming scribes. As they heinously devise their plan of action, a disheartened bearded individual to our extreme left hangs down his powerless head and hopeless heart in shame. Could it be Peter torn between the love for his Master and the fear of being taken to trial?
Pilate, the leaders and Barabbas
As the madness of the merciless crowd multiplies, we are invited to mull over a maze of ironies. Let’s begin with the protagonists:
The life and ministry of Christ often tickled the political leaders of the day and sent shivers down their spurious spines. The infancy narratives talk about Augustus, Cyrenius and Herod who trembled at the thought of the birth of a new king and a new order. This confrontation reaches its peak, thirty three years later, as Jesus stands before Pontius Pilate, the local representative of Cesar Augustus.
Rembrandt depicts Pilate as a dignified elderly man seated on a royal throne set under a brilliant baldachin draped with cascading curtains. He is seen deliberating with the Teachers of the Law with regards to the truth. Ironically, the Truth stands before the Roman Governor himself – Christ – the Alpha and the Omega!
Devoid of beauty and desire, the appearance of the Messiah stands in stark contrast to the extravagant robes of the earthly rulers. And yet, the mass of blood-thirsty soldiers mockingly but ironically crown Jesus with thorns and dress Him in a purple robe. In the midst of deafening disgrace, Christ the King, lifts His gaze seeking not the approval of men but rather the will of His Father and the establishment of His eternal kingdom.
Pilate, on the other hand, seeks to secure his throne (though temporary) by obliging to the fickle whims of the Pharisees and the ever-changing truth of the masses. Even his royal spear is wielded by the religious leader of the law. A mongoloid, barbarous Barabbas kneels and stares at the Roman governor in anticipation of the important decision.
As throngs of people flood the colonnades and the balconies of the Roman quarters, a young man sporting a feathered hat and a royal sceptre draws our attention. It is none but the artist himself! Rembrandt through his etching summons us to a sacred jest, the supreme irony upon which our faith rests.
Fr. Warner D'Souza is a Catholic priest of the Archdiocese of Bombay. He has served in the parishes of St Michael's (Mahim), St Paul's (Dadar East), Our Lady of Mount Carmel, (Bandra), a ten year stint as priest-in-charge at St Jude Church (Malad East) and at present is the Parish Priest at St Stephen's Church (Cumballa Hill). He is also the Director of the Archdiocesan Heritage Museum and is the co-ordinator of the Committee for the Promotion and Preservation of the Artistic and Historic Patrimony of the Church.
