This series, depicting the life of Jesus, was first exhibited together in 2009 at the Déri Museum in Debrecen, Hungary, after Christ Before Pilate was temporarily loaned from Canada. Later, the paintings were displayed in Budapest as well. Remarkably, even Munkácsy himself never saw his three monumental biblical works exhibited in a single space. Although both collectors and the artist longed to see them displayed together, logistical challenges made it impossible during his lifetime.
Each painting measures approximately 4 x 6 meters and weighs around 900 kg, making transportation extremely difficult. A special room had to be created each time they were displayed together.
While Munkácsy painted the works in a different order, we present them according to the biblical events they depict rather than their order of production.
Christ Before Pilate (1881)
Munkácsy first encountered Tintoretto’s four massive Passion paintings at the Scuola di San Rocco in Venice. Shortly after, he traveled to Budapest and spent two weeks in Kalocsa at the residence of Archbishop Lajos Haynald, a patron of ecclesiastical art and a friend of Franz Liszt. By this time, he had likely conceived the idea of painting a trilogy. He began studying the works of Rembrandt and Rubens and, after producing thirty-five studies and oil sketches, completed his first composition sketch at Easter in 1880.
While the trilogy is based on passages from John 18-19 and Luke 23, Munkácsy condenses the events into a powerful visual narrative. Christ Before Pilate presents a victorious Christ, standing in the center in radiant white, confronting his spiteful enemies and the hesitant Roman governor.
Several contemporary artists, including Ivanov, Antokolski, and Gustave Doré, explored the Passion theme, but Munkácsy’s work is unparalleled. His painting not only reflects his deep knowledge of the Bible but also demonstrates his psychological insight, understanding of his era, and personal struggles. He interpreted the biblical events through the lens of a changing world full of doubts, using them as a means to express his own disillusionment with morality and society.
Following this trial before Pilate, the next moment in biblical chronology unfolds in Ecce Homo.
Ecce Homo (1896)
Though it depicts an earlier event than Golgotha, Ecce Homo was actually the last painting Munkácsy completed, bringing his trilogy to a close in 1896. His choice of subject was likely influenced by The Procurator of Judaea, a short story by Anatole France. Munkácsy himself once mentioned considering a painting of the Resurrection to complete the trilogy. However, this plan never materialized due to financial struggles in securing both paintings for Hungary, as well as Munkácsy’s deteriorating health and mental state. Instead of portraying Christ’s triumphant Resurrection or Ascension, he chose to depict the painful second encounter between Christ and Pilate.
The figure of Christ in Ecce Homo reflects Munkácsy’s own state of mind. Pilate presents him to the crowd with the words, Ecce Homo!—“Behold the Man!”—affirming that Christ is not guilty under Roman law. The people respond with gestures, some aggressive and condemning, others gentle and protective.
Munkácsy’s contemporaries identified several key biblical figures in the painting, including Mary, John the Evangelist, the penitent Magdalene, Nicodemus, Joseph of Arimathea, and even Judas. The composition is highly descriptive, capturing the emotional intensity of the moment.
With the final judgment passed, the events of Golgotha unfold.
Golgotha (1884)
While working on Golgotha, Munkácsy went to extraordinary lengths to understand Christ’s suffering—having himself tied to a cross to physically experience the pain. After completing fifteen sketches and studies, the painting was finished by Easter of 1884.
Unlike the first two paintings, which depict interior scenes, Golgotha is set in the vast openness of the Hill of Skulls. The challenge of composing such a scene was immense. Whereas the confined spaces of Christ Before Pilate and Ecco Homo forced a controlled arrangement of figures, the sweeping landscape in Golgotha almost engulfs the people within it. One group consists of Christ and his mourners, while the other portrays onlookers and passersby.
Among the most striking figures in this carefully detailed crowd are an indifferent Jewish carpenter, a distraught man fleeing and beating his breast, and a mysterious Arab rider—a figure whose presence carries a symbolic weight. The painting’s power lies in its dramatic use of colour and landscape. The sky reflects the unfolding tragedy in a foreboding, inescapable way, mirroring the brief but powerful descriptions found in the Gospels.
After its completion, the buyer of Golgotha displayed it alongside Christ Before Pilate in the garden of his Paris palace. The response was overwhelming, and even Guy de Maupassant referenced them in his novel Bel Ami.
A Last Look
Munkácsy’s Christ Trilogy remains one of the most monumental artistic interpretations of the Passion of Christ. Though the paintings were created separately and never exhibited together in his lifetime, their combined impact is extraordinary—a testament to the artist’s skill, vision, and profound engagement with the biblical narrative.
