Doop van Christus in de Jordaan 1575

Cornelis Cort's engraving depicts the baptism of Christ in the Jordan, a seminal moment rendered through powerful symbols. Here, the dove, descending from divine light, embodies the Holy Spirit, a motif resonating with ancient symbols of peace and purity. This descending dove, however, is not merely a Christian invention. We see echoes of it in earlier mythologies, such as the dove associated with Venus, goddess of love, suggesting a deep-seated human fascination with birds as messengers between the earthly and divine realms. Consider the halo, too, encircling Christ's head. It marks the body as sacred and divine. We see this in earlier depictions of Roman emperors, and even further back in time in images of the sun god Helios. What does it tell us about our collective psyche that the halo persists as a symbol of divinity? Observe the emotional gravity of the scene. The viewer is subconsciously drawn into the act of purification and spiritual rebirth that goes beyond any one religion, and speaks of the universal hope of renewal.