Head of Christ
The Met
Artist: Petrus Christus(Netherlandish, Baarle-Hertog (Baerle-Duc), active by 1444–died 1475/76 Bruges)
Date: ca. 1445
Department: European Paintings
Classification: Paintings
Medium: Oil on parchment, laid down on wood
Dimensions: Overall 5 7/8 x 4 1/4 in. (14.9 x 10.8 cm); parchment 5 3/4 x 4 1/8 in. (14.6 x 10.5 cm)
Credit Line: Bequest of Lillian S. Timken, 1959
Visual Descriptions
AI GeneratedVisual Summary
Brief Description
Close-up portrait of a bearded man with long hair, a crown of thorns, and blood
Detailed Description
The painting is a head-and-shoulders portrait of a man with a beard and long, dark hair, set against a dark blue background. The man's face is centered, looking directly forward. His expression is neutral, with a closed mouth and a direct gaze. He has a prominent brow, dark eyes, a straight nose, and a full, dark brown beard that extends down to his chest. His long, dark brown hair falls over his shoulders. Around his head, just above his forehead, is a crown of dark, thorny branches. Drops of red blood trickle down his forehead from beneath the crown, and there are also small red marks on his neck and chest. The dark blue background features delicate, swirling gold leaf patterns on either side of his head and above the crown. The painting is enclosed by a light gray border, which is itself framed by a darker brown edge. Along the bottom edge of the light gray border, faint gold lettering is visible, including what appears to be "The Thpth" and other indistinct characters.
Generated by gemini-2.5-flash
