Kruisdraging met de Heilige Veronica 1596 - 1598

Hendrick Goltzius created this engraving, "Kruisdraging met de Heilige Veronica", on paper around 1617. The artwork embodies the physical and emotional weight of Christ's journey to crucifixion. Goltzius employed the technique of engraving, meticulously incising lines into a metal plate to produce this detailed image. The stark contrast created by the dark lines against the light paper emphasizes the drama of the scene. Engraving was a painstaking process that required technical skill and patience. The deliberate act of carving each line into the plate mirrors the slow, inexorable march towards Christ's fate. In contrast to painting, engraving allowed for the mass production of images. This speaks to the broader social context of the time, where printed images played an increasingly important role in disseminating information and religious ideas. By understanding the materials and processes involved in creating this artwork, we can appreciate the labor and skill that went into its making, and gain a deeper understanding of its cultural significance.