Geseling van Christus 1475 - 1480

Andrea Mantegna created this engraving of the "Geseling van Christus" sometime in the 15th century. Mantegna lived in a time of humanist revival, yet his work is also steeped in the religious and social structures of Renaissance Italy. Here, Christ is the subject of brutal violence, a spectacle set against the cool, classical architecture. The composition invites us to consider the body, both in its idealized form through the Roman soldiers and in its suffering through the figure of Christ. The suffering becomes a focal point of the work, emphasizing his vulnerability. The lines of class and power are etched deeply in this image. Mantegna, who experienced the loss of his father at a young age, may have been drawn to the emotional resonance of Christ's suffering. How does this depiction challenge or uphold the existing narratives of its time? Consider the ways in which Mantegna's engraving asks us to contemplate the relationship between power, violence, and sacrifice.