Sandra delivered a talk to a gathering of guests at the Museum of the Bible to open the show. She discussed both her passion for collecting art and some stories behind many of the works included in this exhibition.

Ecce Homo/Behold the Man

Bowden Collections is proud to offer the traveling exhibition, Ecce Homo/Behold the Man with images dating from the early 17th century to contemporary works. Among the artists included are Jacques Callot, Georges Rouault, Max Beckmann, Schmidt-Rotluff, Otto Dix, Odilon Redon, Bruce Herman, and Tyrus Clutter. This exhibition is organized to place the viewer at the scene where Jesus was condemned by the crowd as described in Matthew 27, “And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, ‘Let him be crucified.’”

Ecce homo is Latin for “behold the man.” This declaration refers to the presentation of Christ by the Roman ruler, Pontius Pilate, before the Jewish mob as described in John 19. Jesus, who had been falsely accused by the high priests and elders, was beaten, mockingly dressed as a king with both a crown of thorns and a purple robe, and then presented to the mob. “When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, Pilate said to them, “Behold the man!” As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, “Crucify! Crucify!”

“But Pilate answered, ‘You take him and crucify him. As for me, I find no basis for a charge against him.’” Pilate, whether from fear or self-preservation, declared that although he found no basis for the death of Jesus, he would hand him over to be crucified. Max Beckmann’s Ecce Homo captures an intense moment when Pilate, portrayed as an evil character with an extended jaw and bald head, speaks to Jesus. We can only imagine the conversation.

The earliest depictions of the Ecce Homo scene appear in the ninth and tenth centuries in the Syrian-Byzantine art. Many high-ranking Jewish officials attended the questioning of Jesus, but to remain ceremonially clean, they did not wish to enter the house of the Roman ruler. Therefore, historians believe Pilate had to bring Jesus outside of his house to present him to the crowd. The early Syrian-Byzantine artists often pictured Jesus, crowned in thorns and wearing a purple robe outside of Pilate’s palace. Bonfils’ photograph,  Ecce Homo, provides the physical setting on the Jerusalem street where this took place over 2000 years ago just inside the St. Stephen’s Gate.

This show contains:

•  An essay on the show by Sandra Bowden and Sarah Colago
• File to print a handout for visitors to your gallery
• File with high-resolution images of all works in the show
• File with text for labels
• File for Introduction panels
• Information on unpacking and repacking show
• Information on shipping the exhibition

Cost of rental is $4o0 per month (4 weeks) plus shipping.

Ecce Homo: Behold the Man

 Easter at Museum of the Bible

https://www.museumofthebible.org/magazine/exhibitions/ecce-homo-behold-the-man

As early as the fourth century AD, Christians began traveling great distances to pray along a set path through the streets of Jerusalem, following the journey Jesus took to the cross. This path became known as the Via Dolorosa, a Latin term meaning the “Sorrowful Way” or “Way of Sorrow,” with 14 stops reflecting on the suffering Jesus endured. For those who could not travel, a virtual pilgrimage was developed as a way for Christians to imitate walking the Via Dolorosa, by pausing at each stop arranged around the interior of a church. This became known as the “Stations of the Cross” and is present in thousands of churches around the world  ... more