Christus aan het kruis 1628

Christoffel van Sichem II created this woodcut of the crucified Christ in the Netherlands, sometime in the early 17th century. The image presents a scene of profound religious and political significance. The crucifixion, a symbol of sacrifice and redemption, carries immense weight in Christian theology. Yet, the image would also have spoken to the fraught social and political context of the time. The Dutch Republic was then in its early years, a Protestant nation that had recently rebelled against Catholic Spain. As a print, this image would have been easily and cheaply reproduced, circulating widely and potentially used as propaganda. Its stark depiction of violence may have served to underscore the suffering of the Protestant population at the hands of their former rulers. Understanding the cultural and institutional history surrounding this image requires that art historians look into period documents, religious treatises, and political pamphlets. This helps us interpret its meaning within the specific context of the 17th-century Dutch Republic.