This poster was for a re-release of the 1898 Richard G. Hollaman production, now owned by Thomas Edison’s film production company. This time the production was simply called Passion Play, but the N. Morgillo printing company in New York City greatly enhanced the artwork on the poster.

The scene was inspired by The Life of Christ (La Vie de Notre Seigneur Jésus-Christ) a compilation of over 350 watercolors created by James J. Tissot (1836-1902) between 1886 and 1894.

Like many of this time period, the poster was created using stone lithography, a laborious process of carving into polished limestone. For each color, the stone must be wiped clean and the paper precisely placed for the next pressing. For an overview of this process see the video link published by the NY Met.