About the Collection
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.
Image Gallery
1. Christ before Pilate, Max Beckmann
2. Christ Shown to the People, Jacques Callot
3. Ecce Homo, Michele Ciry
4. Christ Reviled, Tyrus Clutter
5. Unknown, Spanish Head of Christ
6. Ecce Homo, Cornelis Cort
7. Christus, Otto Dix
8. Ecce Homo (Behold the Man), Otto Dix
9. Ecce Homo, Hubertus Giebe
10. Ecce Homo, Ralph Hal
11. O Sacred Head, Bruce Herman
12. Christ, Odilon Redon
13. Koph (Head of Christ), by Karl Schmidt-Rotluff
14. Ecce Homo, Unknown French Artist, paper lace
15. Man of Sorrows & Mater Dolorosa, Unknown
16. Ecce Homo, George Rouault
17. Ecce Homo, Bonfils
18. Ecce Homo, Reni
19. Most Loved One, Dactu
20. Ecce Homo, Salvador Dali
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Calendar of Exhibitions
January 1 to April 30, 2025
St Luke’s Anglican Church
50 Pope Ave, Hilton Head, SC 29928
Contact: Andy Sonfield, andrea.sonfield@gmail.com (843) 842-2990
Ruth Hauck rwh22hhi@aol.com
2024
February 14 to May 15, 2024
Museum of the Bible
400 4th St, SW, Washington DC 20024
Contact: Amy Van Dyke, amy.vandyke@mbible.or(866) 430-6682
2023
October 10 to December 10, 2023
Concordia University Nebraska
800 N Columbia Ave, Seward, NE 68434
(402) 643-3651
Conctact: James.Bockelman, james.bockelman@cune.edu
2022
March 1 to May 30, 2022
First Baptist Church
600 Governors Dr. SW, Huntsville, AL 35801
Contact: Debbie debbieb@fbchsv.org
256.428.9405 (office) 256.759.6765 (cell)
IN THE NEWS
Robert & Sandra Bowden open the Exhibition of Their ECCE HOMO/BEHOLD THE MAN collection at the Museum of the Bible in Washington DC
Posted on March 4, 2024
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.
Read the entire article at
https://www.museumofthebible.org/newsroom/salvador-dali-in-ecce-homo-exhibit
This show contains:
Cost of rental is $4o0 per month (4 weeks) plus shipping.