Henri Matisse
Date:
1951
Medium:
Black enamel brushwork on ceramic panel

Visual Description:
Station 10 is positioned in the upper left corner of the top row. The scene is approximately three tiles high and four tiles wide. In it, three outlined figures engage with one another, representing the Stations of the Cross story in which Roman soldiers strip off Jesus’ clothes. The figure in the center, representing Jesus, stands upright, expressed by a line drawing with two defined legs and a head. The abstract, linear figures on either side, representing Roman soldiers, curve outward at the waist—one to the left, the other to the right—as if pulling against the central figure. Their arms merge, showing two arms shared between the three figures. The strong diagonals created by the figures suggest an aggressive and humiliating treatment of Jesus.

BMA