Simply,  a depiction of one of the countless thousands upon thousands of public judicial whippings  that occurred in years past.  Writhing under each searing stroke, this middle-aged man futilely attempts to avoid the fall of the cat.   By the look of the man's  welted back, we can gather that perhaps only 6 or 7 strokes have been laid on....   You can only imagine the utter desperation the man would be feeling.... as he realizes the total of cuts still to come....