The vertically oriented painting depicts Pilate washing his hands. The scene includes eight men and takes place in a spacious palace hall. The composition is divided into two planes. The foreground, positioned on the left, contains five figures; the background, on the right, includes three figures. Light falls directly on the figures in the foreground, which contrasts with the subdued colors of the background and setting.

The group of five men is located on the left. At the center, seated on a chair draped with red fabric, is Pilate. He is turned slightly to the right, with his left side facing the viewer. Pilate is depicted as an elderly man. His head is raised upward. He wears a grey turban adorned with a gem—a small carved precious or semi-precious stone. In the painting it is oval, red, and decorates the right side of the turban. The man has a round face and short grey beard. His brows are furrowed and his dark eyes gaze upward. He is dressed in a long, dark cloak with a collar made of grey fur. The cloak reaches the floor. Beneath it, golden, shimmering sleeves and dark shoes are visible. Pilate’s hands are clasped and held above a silver basin. The basin is held by a kneeling man on the right. This man is turned to the viewer with his left side and looks directly at Pilate. He has shoulder-length black hair, a dark mustache, and dark eyebrows. His lips are slightly parted. His complexion is fair and evenly lit. Over his right shoulder is draped a white garment and a long red cloak. His torso is bare. He wears yellow trousers and light shoes. He kneels on his left knee and holds the silver basin with both hands.

Between Pilate and the man holding the basin stands another man. He is positioned behind them, facing the viewer. His head is turned to the left, his gaze directed toward the hands. He is an older, bald man with a short grey beard. He pours water from a jug into the basin. The jug is medium-sized, dark in color, with a long narrow neck and a handle. It is decorated with gold ornamentation. He holds the jug with his right arm around it, and with his left hand he steadies it from above. His figure is partially obscured by Pilate and the kneeling man. He is shown to mid-thigh and wears a dark blue robe with sleeves rolled up to the elbows.

To the left, behind Pilate’s chair, stand two more men. The first, on the far left, is mostly hidden by the other figure; only his head is visible, facing the viewer. He has thick, dark hair that blends with the shadowy background. His face is round and lit from the left. His eyebrows and eyes are dark brown. His nose is rounded at the tip and his lips are pink and closed. A fragment of his red garment can be seen.

Beside him stands another man, turned to the viewer with his right side. He has dark, receding hair and a long mustache. His face is elongated and wrinkled, and his gaze is directed at Pilate. His left hand rests on the chair’s back as he leans over Pilate. His right hand rests on his chest. He wears a robe with a hood pulled over his head. The garment is dark green, long to the floor, and trimmed with gold.

In the upper left corner hangs a dark drapery. On the right side, in the background, is an arcade—an architectural element consisting of two supports connected by an arch. Here, the supports are columns. Beyond the arcade, against a background of blue sky and white clouds, are three figures forming the second plane of the composition. This scene is painted with less detail than the foreground, and its colors are more subdued. The figures are shown from the back, to mid-thigh. Two soldiers lead Jesus, positioned between them. Christ has dark, shoulder-length hair, a crown of thorns, and a light garment draped over his left shoulder. He holds a reed in his hands. The soldier on the left wears a black helmet with a white plume, a light green shirt tied at the waist, and orange trousers. He holds a long wooden staff. The soldier on the right, with his head turned left revealing a dark beard, wears a black helmet with a white plume and a black shirt and trousers. He also holds a long wooden staff extending beyond the edge of the painting.

Jan Harmensz van Bijlert frequently explored religious subjects in his work. In Pilate Washing His Hands, the artist depicts the biblical scene of Jesus’ trial. The composition plays a crucial role, guiding the viewer’s eye first to Pilate and the figures surrounding him, and only afterward to Jesus being led out of the palace. According to some interpretations, the figure on the far left, looking toward the viewer, may represent a self-portrait of the artist.

Audio description: Emilia Szymańska
Consultation: Adrian Wyka
Content consultation: Miłosz Kargol