They will mock him and spit upon him and flog him and kill him . . .
—Mark 10:34
LOOK: Sacred Head II: The Mocking by Bruce Herman
The Florence Portfolio is a suite of twenty intaglio prints based on the biblical theme of sacrifice, made by six artists from Christians in the Visual Arts (CIVA) who lived and worked together for a month in Florence, Italy. I purchased two limited-edition portfolio prints—this one, and Wayne Forte’s Deposition—from the CIVA store shortly before the organization closed its operations in 2023.
A tightly cropped image of Christ’s blindfolded face, Bruce Herman’s Sacred Head II: The Mocking conveys disorientation. Hands slapping, shoving, pounding. Spittle on the cheek, in the ear. A nest of thorns piercing the scalp. Taunting epithets and derisive laughter. A cracking scourge. This is only a fraction of the violence and humiliation Christ suffered in the hours before his death.
LISTEN: “Crucify Him” by Sarah Wilcox, on Crucify Him (2023)
Pilate took Jesus and flogged him
Soldiers, they twisted a crown of thorns
And put it on his head
And arrayed him in a purple robeHail, King of the Jews!
Hail, King of the Jews!And they struck him with their hands
And when they had mocked him
They stripped him of the purple robe
And put on his own clothes
And they led him away
To crucify him
Art & Theology 