Christ Mocked (top); Christ Before Caiaphas (bottom)

This double-register panel showing Christ Mocked above and Christ Before Caiaphas below belongs to the reverse of Duccio's monumental Maestà altarpiece for Siena Cathedral, painted 1308-1311. These two Passion scenes depict Christ's trial before the Jewish high priest and the soldiers' mockery — episodes of profound theological and emotional weight in Gothic devotional practice. Duccio's narrative cycle on the Maestà reverse was unprecedented in its scope and set the standard for subsequent Italian altarpiece programs.

Executed in egg tempera and gold on panel, the two scenes demonstrate Duccio's mastery of interior architectural settings, with receding walls and coffered ceilings suggesting spatial depth. The figures display the refined Sienese treatment of drapery and expressive facial types, with Christ's composure contrasted against the agitation of his tormentors.