Massacre of the Innocents, reduced and reversed copy after Aegidius Sadeler 1600 - 1629

This anonymous engraving at the Met is a reduced and reversed copy after Aegidius Sadeler's “Massacre of the Innocents”. It depicts a biblical event ordered by King Herod, showcasing infanticide as a brutal tool of power. The image resonates with historical and cultural anxieties about violence, authority, and the vulnerability of the disenfranchised. The emotional core of the work lies in the raw portrayal of mothers desperately trying to shield their children from the soldiers. Their bodies contort with a blend of agony and protectiveness. The choice to replicate and alter an existing artwork raises questions about originality, authorship, and the circulation of images in society. This engraving invites us to confront the uncomfortable realities of violence inflicted on innocent bodies. It questions the narratives we inherit and the emotions they evoke.