Christ Mocked
Gustave Doré, 1866 · Matthew 27:29
The passage
And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!
Matthew 27:29
About this plate
Christ sits at the left on a low seat, robed, crowned, a reed held loosely in his hands. In front of him men bow — exaggeratedly, one down on a knee with his head almost to the floor, another sweeping an arm across his chest. Behind, soldiers lean on staves and watch. A brazier and some tackle lie on the flagstones.
The seated figure does not react. Doré keeps the head slightly lowered and the eyes almost closed, and gives all the motion in the plate to the men performing the salute.
The verse is a stage direction with props: a crown of thorns on the head, a reed in the right hand, the bowing of the knee, and the line — Hail, King of the Jews. Matthew lists the costume before he lists the insult.
That is what makes it a specific kind of cruelty rather than a general one. It required equipment. Somebody found a reed. Somebody plaited thorns. The bowing had to be practised at least once for the joke to land, and Doré draws men who are clearly enjoying the performance.
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