Daniele Crespi
Milan, ca. 1600-1630
Ecce Homo, ca. 1623
Oil on canvas.
This picture demonstrates Crespi�s rapid development toward an original and compelling style. The composition is related to a painting by Caravaggio, and the bold contrast between light and dark, or chiaroscuro, reflect a deepening naturalism. The refined design, evident in the subtle alignments of limbs, recalls contemporary Florentine painting. Both the palette and the striking differentiation of paint handling, (compare Christ�s flesh with Pilate�s sleeve), are freshly informed by Rubens. However, by now these elements have been thoroughly synthesized and reconciled with the tendency of the Milanese school toward intense, subjective expression. This, Crespi�s mature style, is remarkably sound in form and authentic in feeling.