Christ Crowned with Thorns

This version of The Crown of Thorns in the Museum of Fine Arts in Ghent belonged to the Carmelite monastery in Ghent and was part of the works of the religious institutions that were confiscated during the French Revolution. It is an enlarged replica of The Crown of Thorns from the St. Michael's Church in Roeselare. This large canvas allows…

This version of The Crown of Thorns in the Museum of Fine Arts in Ghent belonged to the Carmelite monastery in Ghent and was part of the works of the religious institutions that were confiscated during the French Revolution. It is an enlarged replica of The Crown of Thorns from the St. Michael's Church in Roeselare. This large canvas allows the problem of copies and replicas to be addressed. A large number of Jan Janssens' paintings exist in multiple copies, which testifies to the relative success of certain themes. Of the model of the 'great' Crown of Thorns, twelve replicas or copies have been found so far. Some seem to be authentic replicas, i.e. made by the artist, sometimes in collaboration with his studio. Others, of lesser quality, are the work of the studio alone or of independent copyists. Only a careful examination of the various replicas makes it possible to draw certain conclusions. There are several differences, either in the composition, or - more often - in the painting technique, since most artists use technical processes that distinguish them from their counterparts.