Scanning through the pictures, I particularly noticed the clothing. I chuckled to see Caiaphas in a bishop’s mitre, but most of the artists (save Tissot) depicted everyone in medieval clothing.
I got an insight as I pondered this. Clothing was much more significant to medieval society than ours. Portraying authentic clothing would be confusing and misleading to the average viewer. Medieval society had sumptuary laws, requiring different classes to wear different clothing. Thus, the clothing reveals who the characters are and where they fit in society.
Sounds right. And yet, the ground is ever level at the foot of the cross.