Pilate Washing His Hands (page from The Belles Heures of Jean de France, duc de Berry)

Limbourg Brothers · 1405–1408/1409
The Met, New York

The Belles Heures, a book of hours made in Paris about 1405–1409 for Jean de France, duc de Berry, was painted by the Limbourg brothers. Its pages are fine vellum, painted in tempera with gold.

Pilate sits on a raised throne under a gold canopy while a servant pours water from a golden ewer over his hands into a basin. At the left Jesus is led away; at a window above, a woman looks down.

From the text

Pilate washes his hands before the crowd (Matthew 27:24)

His wife sends him a message (Matthew 27:19)

The artist’s own

Pilate in the robes and tall hat of an Eastern ruler

The woman at the window — perhaps his wife, though the text says only that she sent a message

Details

Pilate

He sits in blue on his throne.

The ewer

A servant pours water from a gold jug.

Jesus

He is led away by soldiers.

At the window

A woman with fair hair looks down.

Limbourg Brothers (Herman, Pol, and Jean de Limbourg), Franco-Netherlandish, active France, by 1399–1416. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (The Cloisters Collection, 1954; 54.1.1a, b; page image DP298284) · Tempera, gold, and ink on vellum · Public Domain — The Met Open Access (CC0). The Met Collection API record: "isPublicDomain": true; The Met marks such works on its website "with the Creative Commons Zero (CC0) icon".

The verses

Matt 27:19–24While Pilate was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him this message: “Have nothing to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered terribly in a dream today because of Him.” But the chief priests and elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus put to death. “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” asked the governor. “Barabbas,” they replied. “What then should I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” Pilate asked. They all answered, “Crucify Him!” “Why?” asked Pilate. “What evil has He done?” But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify Him!” When Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but that instead a riot was breaking out, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “You bear the responsibility.”