Property of Fondo Edifici di Culto, Ministero dell’Interno.
The Flagellation of Christ is undeniably one of the most important canvases Caravaggio painted in Naples. Sources attest that it was indeed one of the paintings that sealed his success as a painter in the city. It is built around the stunning, sculptural figure of Christ, his body bathed in light and symbolically displayed.
The painting was commissioned in 1607 by Tommaso de Franchis as an altarpiece for the family chapel in the church of San Domenico Maggiore, initially positioned in the cloister. The painting, along with the chapel, were not moved into the church until much later in 1652.
The Arts of Golden Age Spain and the Hispanic World 