Anonymous Cincinnatian loans rare Renaissance painting to University of Cincinnati exhibit

You never know what might be in your neighbor's house.

One Cincinnatian has a rare and valuable painting from the Northern Renaissance.

The 16th-century painting, Catharina van Hemessen’s "Scourging of Christ" (1556), is temporarily on display at the Robert A. Deshon and Karl J. Schlachter Library for Design, Architecture, Art and Planning (DAAP Library) at the University of Cincinnati until April 30. The anonymous owner loaned the painting, which typically resides in his home.

The small, jewel-like devotional work is one that "the top five museums in the country would die to have in their collections," said Chris Platts, assistant professor of art history at the library and co-curator of the exhibit featuring Hemessen’s painting.

The painting by the Netherlandish artist depicts the Biblical scene of soldiers whipping Jesus Christ before his crucifixion. Platts said Hemessen paid close attention to the musculature of the bodies in the work.

It is special, he said, because female painters during this period weren't given the opportunity their male counterparts had to study the human body at an academy.

But the painting's style isn't what makes it so valuable.

The work is the only signed piece by Hemessen in the Western Hemisphere, Platts said. In Europe, there are only roughly 12 signed paintings by her.

The work is also one of four paintings by Hemessen that depict a religious narrative. Platts said her other works, like most by female Renaissance painters, are portraits.

Plus, there are very few female painters compared to men from this period and even fewer female painters whose work has survived.

How the rare painting ended up in Cincinnati

Platts said he believes very few pieces of Renaissance art exist in private residences in Cincinnati.

A painting like this typically falls in the hands of someone with the "means" and the "taste" for it, he said. Usually, someone in the art world acquires the painting, and it's passed down through inheritance.

Before the painting landed in Cincinnati, it was briefly displayed in Detroit. The painting's frame reads "collection of E. Raymond Field," a previous owner, and "Exhibited Detroit Institute of Arts."

The exhibition in Detroit was one of only two times in the last 50 to 75 years the "Scourging of Christ" was publicly displayed, Platts said.

"Most people don't even know it exists because it's not on public display. It's not in a lot of the Hemmesen books and articles," he said.

"So curators who are doing a show on famous Renaissance women or Baroque women artists wouldn't even know about its existence, or if they do, they wouldn't know where to find it," he added. "That's what makes it special to have it here."

Platts came into contact with the painting about 1½ years ago when Michael Ruzga, a local conservator who represents the anonymous owner, asked him to study the materials used for the painting.

Platts later sought the owner's permission to display the painting at the University of Cincinnati. The owner agreed, as long as his identity would remain anonymous for safety reasons.

The painting has been on display in the library since March 7. The exhibit features items from the library's Special Collections Suite that complement the Hemessen painting.

Together, the items are meant to celebrate Women's History Month by highlighting women artists like Hemessen, as well as female rulers and patrons in Renaissance Europe.

Platts confirmed that when the exhibit closes April 30, the painting will return to the owner's home.

He just can't say where.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: 'Scourging of Christ' on display at University of Cincinnati exhibit