Bolognese School, first half of the 18th century

This high-quality painting executed on a large sheet of copper, and in remarkably good condition, appears to be the work of a Bolognese artist working in Rome. One such painter is Aureliano Milani (1675-1749), who came from Bologna to settle in Rome in 1718, and whose interest in the male form, use of emphatic gestures, open-mouthed expressions, and figures employed almost as repoussoirs in the foreground, find echoes here. The figure of Christ is also reminiscent of the work of Francesco Trevisani (1656-1746).

Much of the deft and confident underdrawing has become visible, particularly around Christ's shoulders, in the figures on the right, where it is possible to see that the position of the bearded man's hand has been adjusted, and above the soldiers on the left, where a plumed helmet has been replaced with a lion skin.