Master Morata
Passion Altarpiece: Detail, the trial before Pilate

Aragon, circa 1470-1505
Tempera and gold on wood
The Cloisters, New York City (gift of George Blumenthal, accession numbers 11.3.1 and 35.35.19)

Pilate agrees to the crucifixion of Jesus in all the gospel accounts, but only in Matthew 27:24 does he wash his hands to signify that "I am innocent of the blood of this just man." In the image, he is the one with the tall red hat holding a bowl. A servant pours water into the bowl. The two men in red standing before him probably represent "the chief priests and ancients" who had brought the charge against Jesus and "persuaded the people, that they should ask for Barabbas, and take Jesus away" (Matthew 27:20).

The woman in the background with the praying hands is probably Pilate's wife. She did not attend the trial herself, but including her in this image is a concise way of referring to the message she sent to Pilate, urging him not to condemn Jesus (Matthew 27:19).

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Photographed at The Cloisters by Richard Stracke, shared under Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license.