Auferstehung Christi (detail) 

Jörg Ratgeb painted this section of the "Resurrection" in the early 16th century in Swabia, now Southern Germany, as part of an altarpiece. At first glance, it's a traditional scene of Christ's resurrection, but a closer look reveals a subversion of the traditional narrative. The guards, rather than being symbols of Roman power, are reduced to a disheveled rabble. Playing cards are scattered around them, along with dice and a beer stein, suggesting a night of drunken revelry before falling asleep on duty. Ratgeb was not just an artist, but also a political figure deeply involved in the German Peasants' War. His work reflects the social upheavals of the time, and it presents a view of the church and the aristocracy as corrupt and decadent. To fully appreciate this work, one must delve into the history of the Reformation, the Peasants' War, and Ratgeb's own biography, using sources like historical documents, theological texts, and art historical analyses. This provides a rich understanding of the artwork and of the moment that made it.