Seen from behind in a white toga.
Bible in art · Matthew
Pilate Washes His Hands (Pilate se lave les mains)
James Tissot · 1886–1894
Brooklyn Museum, New York
We stand behind the Roman guard on the steps of the judgement seat, looking past their helmets and red cloaks. Pilate, in a white toga, stretches his hands over a bowl while a servant pours water over them.
Beyond, a great crowd fills the terraces and rooftops of the city, and the standards of the legion rise at the right. Tissot hid Pilate’s face; only his gesture is shown.
From the text
- “he took water and washed his hands before the crowd” (Matthew 27:24)
- “I am innocent of this man’s blood” (Matthew 27:24)
The artist’s own
- Roman standards and a soldier with a curved horn
- The view from behind the guards
Details
Pilate
The water
A servant pours water over his hands into a bowl.
Standards
Roman standards rise above the guard.
A soldier
A legionary in armour stands with his hands on his hips.
James Tissot, French, 1836–1902. Brooklyn Museum, New York (Purchased by public subscription, 00.159.271) · Opaque watercolor over graphite on gray wove paper · Brooklyn Museum (Commons file page, «Permission»): "This image was uploaded by the Brooklyn Museum as a content partnership, and is considered to have no known copyright restrictions by the institutions of the Brooklyn Museum." — "No known copyright restrictions".