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

This anonymous engraving from the 17th century is a reduced and reversed copy of Aegidius Sadeler's work, depicting the biblical Massacre of the Innocents. The scene is filled with chaos and grief as soldiers brutally kill infants while their mothers try to protect them. The composition is crowded, with figures overlapping and creating a sense of urgency. This powerful image explores the themes of violence and faith, and is a prime example of the use of engraving to convey complex narratives. It is now part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection in New York.