Flagellation

Ugolino di Nerio was one of the principal followers of Duccio di Buoninsegna in the Sienese school, known for his expressive Passion narratives and delicate gold-ground panels. This Flagellation, painted around 1330, likely formed part of a dismembered polyptych altarpiece, as was common when large medieval altarpieces were broken up by later collectors. Now in the Gemaldegalerie Berlin, it demonstrates the intense emotional narrative that distinguished Sienese Gothic painting from its Florentine counterpart.

Executed in tempera and gold on panel, Ugolino's Flagellation arranges the tormentors around the bound Christ in a compressed, emotionally charged composition. The elongated figures, flowing drapery lines, and expressive gestures are characteristic of the Ducciesque tradition, while the gold ground and jewel-like color harmonies reflect Sienese refinement.