Head of Christ

Petrus Christus completed this intimate devotional image around 1445, creating a fusion of two traditional types: the Holy Face and the Ecce Homo. The small work derives from a lost picture by Jan van Eyck, now known only through copies. Christus presented Christ with a furrowed brow, crown of thorns, and drops of blood running down his forehead, depicting the moment of suffering during the Passion.

The painting measures just 14.9 x 10.8 cm, typical of works meant for private devotion. Christus surrounded the head with a fictive frame, creating physical immediacy that draws viewers into contemplation. This approach reflects the Devotio Moderna movement that emphasized personal, emotional religious experience in the 15th-century Netherlands.

The work came to the Metropolitan Museum of Art through the bequest of Lillian S. Timken in 1959. The Met's collection of Early Netherlandish painting provides essential context for understanding this devotional tradition.