Kindermoord te Betlehem 1585 - 1692

This is an anonymous print of the ‘Massacre of the Innocents.’ It depicts a biblical scene of infanticide ordered by King Herod in a bid to kill the infant Jesus in Bethlehem. Here we see a tangle of bodies, a brutal clash between the maternal instinct to protect and the violence of men. There are the soldiers, instruments of power, caught in the act. We can see mothers desperately shielding their children, their faces etched with fear. The image offers a visual account of the powerless at the hands of authority. The pain is palpable and immediate. The artist uses the bodies to evoke a sense of chaos and despair, challenging the traditional heroic narratives of battle. The work serves as a stark reminder of the human cost of power, particularly how it impacts the vulnerable. It asks us to confront the uncomfortable truths about violence, sacrifice, and the resilience of the human spirit.