Twee engelen tonen de passiewerktuigen van Christus. 1588

Johann Sadeler I, created this engraving, "Two Angels Displaying the Instruments of the Passion," in 1588, a period of intense religious and political upheaval in Europe. The print presents two angels kneeling on either side of a collection of objects associated with Christ's suffering. These 'instruments of the passion' include the cross, the ladder used to take Christ down, and other objects symbolizing the crucifixion. The angels, rendered with soft features and flowing garments, carry flags with celestial symbols. Sadeler's work appears in the midst of the Counter-Reformation, as the Catholic Church sought to reaffirm its authority. Art became a powerful tool for communicating religious ideas, instilling piety, and inspiring devotion. Through the juxtaposition of angelic figures with symbols of pain and sacrifice, Sadeler taps into the emotional and spiritual resonance of the Passion story. The print encourages the viewer to contemplate the suffering of Christ, and their relationship to that history. It serves as a potent reminder of faith, sacrifice, and the complex interplay between the divine and the human.