The composition depicts a moment in the Gospel of Matthew: “Then the high priest tore his clothes, saying, ‘He hath spoken blasphemy! What further need have we of witnesses? Behold, now ye have heard this blasphemy’” (Matthew 26:65).
Christ before Pilate is a later work, characterized by the improbably elegant poses of the figures, the sinuous, highly decorative folds of the drapery, and the cursive pen work that superficially describes the forms. It may exhibit the influence of mannerist works by Francesco Salviati and his pupil, Giuseppe Porta Salviati, who is recorded as having visited Padua in 1541.
Inscribed on mount, at center, just beneath the drawing, "Titian(?) (effaced)"; on verso of drawing, at upper left, in red chalk, "No. 866"; at center left, in red chalk, "gnla(?)" (cancelled); at center, in graphite, "11/16" (a fraction); at lower right in graphite, "q"; on remnant of old mount, in pen and brown ink, "V.G. / 83", in pen and red ink, "No 95" (very faint); in pen and red ink, "Lot 909.x".
Watermark: Church inside circle surmounted by long stemmed cross. Similar to watermark on I,62a
Hudson, Thomas, 1701-1779, former owner.
Reynolds, Joshua, Sir, 1723-1792, former owner.
Murray, Charles Fairfax, 1849-1919, former owner.
Morgan, J. Pierpont (John Pierpont), 1837-1913, former owner.
Tietze and Tietze-Conrat 1944, 129, no. 509; Staten Island 1958-59, no. 8.
Collection J. Pierpont Morgan : Drawings by the Old Masters Formed by C. Fairfax Murray. London : Privately printed, 1905-1912, I, 64.