The Mocking of the Crowned Christ

The Mocking of the Crowned Christ (Mt 26:67–68 and 27:28–30) – Michal mocks David (2 Sam 6:13–23) and Hur, Moses’ brother-in-law, is mocked by the Jews (Speculum humanae salvationis, ch. 19)

Inscription: Only a fragment preserved: ... <Ju?>deis …

Uppsala manuscript: David deridetur a Michol. Christus coronatus deridetur. Derisus fuit Ur propter veritatis rigorem. (David is mocked by Michal. The crowned Christ is mocked. Hur was mocked because of the severity of truth.)

a.    The appearance of all three scenes cannot be reconstructed in detail. We can only speculate that the main scene employed the widely used iconography of the time, in which Christ sits in the center, holding a reed in his right hand and wearing the crown of thorns. On each side stands a man, and the two cross their staffs above his head as if placing the crown upon him. Other figures may be kneeling before Christ, mocking him.

b.    David’s wife Michal despised him when she saw him dancing before the Ark of the Covenant as it was brought into Jerusalem. As punishment, she was made barren. This scene does not have a strong iconographic tradition, so we cannot propose a concrete reconstruction.

c.    The final scene was inspired by a story from the Speculum humanae salvationis. Hur, the husband of Miriam, Moses’ sister, along with Aaron, was one of the few who opposed the Jews when they sought to make a golden calf. Because of this, he was rejected and spat upon. It is highly likely that the painters drew inspiration from illuminated manuscripts of the Speculum.