Christ Triumphant 1546

Editor: So this is Sebald Beham's "Christ Triumphant." It's a tiny engraving, only about 7 by 5 centimeters, but the detail is incredible! I'm really struck by the sheer number of cherubic faces packed into such a small space. What do you make of it? Curator: It's like Beham crammed the entire celestial court into a nutshell! Look how Christ is posed, almost swaggering, one foot firmly planted on the globe. What does that suggest to you? Editor: Power, dominion maybe? That he's in charge of everything? Curator: Precisely! And the dove above, the angels swirling, the inscription...it all speaks to a very confident assertion of divine authority. It’s a potent little image, isn't it? Editor: It really is. I hadn't considered how actively *imposing* it is. Curator: Art always has more layers than we initially think.