Hemelvaart 1579

This is Johann Sadeler’s engraving, “The Ascension,” made around 1568. Here, Christ ascends to heaven amidst clouds, flanked by angels. The apostles below gaze upward, their arms raised in a mix of awe and supplication. Consider the gesture of raised arms. It's not unique to Christianity. We see it echoed in ancient depictions of orants, figures in prayer from early Roman catacombs. Before that, it was in pagan rituals reaching back to ancient Egypt, a universal expression of reverence and connection with the divine. These gestures are part of what I call the "pathos formula" - a language of embodied emotion that transcends epochs. The engraving doesn't just depict a scene; it evokes a visceral response, tapping into our collective memory of seeking something beyond ourselves. The figures convey intense emotional states through pose and composition that we can recognize even today. It's a powerful force engaging viewers on a deep, subconscious level. The ascension motif, therefore, is not merely a biblical event but a recurring symbol of transcendence. It reappears, evolves, and takes on new meanings in different historical contexts.