Entkleidung Christi

Entkleidung Christi — the Stripping of Christ's Garments — precedes the nailing to the cross and was a subject less commonly depicted than the Flagellation or the Crucifixion itself. Its presence in the Small Passion cycle at Karlsruhe indicates a comprehensive programme covering episodes not always included in shorter cycles. The stripping carried both humiliating and symbolic weight: Christ's nakedness prefigured the vulnerability of the crucified body, while his garments, divided by lot among the soldiers, fulfilled Psalm 22's prophetic text. This moment of enacted humiliation gave the Master of the Small Passion a subject demanding restraint rather than violence.

Tempera on panel. The compositional focus is the transition between clothed soldiers and the progressively unclothed Christ — the act of removal itself creates the visual and narrative tension. Figure groupings are compressed into the small panel format typical of the cycle.