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David Jones was a pioneering figure in early 20th century art and poetry. He served on the front-line during World War One from 1915 to 1918 and this period had a profound impact on his work; most notably his epic poem In Parenthesis, published in 1937. Jones also converted to Catholicism shortly after the war, in 1921. Here, he depicts a scene from the Bible where the Roman governor of Judea, Pontius Pilate, orders Jesus’ execution. As in the Medieval art tradition, Jones has shown Pilate washing his hands of guilt for Jesus' death. This was a far less common subject matter within modern art. The work also references his experience of World War One with the inclusion of the soldiers. Jones produced several important religious works in this period.