Die Entkleidung Christi

According to the apocryphal Gospel of Nicodemus, Christ was disrobed before the crucifixion. El Greco depicted this rare subject in a famous altarpiece for the sacristy in Toledo Cathedral. The composition of the Munich version is largely the same, albeit in a smaller format. However, some details, the colouration and the proportions of the figures are different. It is considered an authentic replica that was also worked on by the artist’s workshop. The painting’s acquisition in 1909 by the museum’s director, Hugo von Tschudi, reflects the enthusiasm for El Greco in the early Modernist period.