Kruisiging van Christus 1628 - 1689

This is an anonymous engraving of the crucifixion, part of the Rijksmuseum’s collection. Images like this were common across Europe, especially during the rise of the printing press. The intention was to make accessible key scenes from the Bible. Notice how Christ’s suffering is placed front and center, rendered to inspire feelings of penitence and devotion. The composition uses familiar visual codes: the mourning figures below, the angels above, and of course the cross itself. These images were often commissioned by religious institutions, demonstrating how the church used art to reinforce its teachings and maintain social order. To understand the full impact of this print, we might look at records of religious life in the Netherlands, or examine the printmaking industry of the time. Art is never created in a vacuum, and its meaning is always tied to the social conditions in which it is made and viewed.