Onthoofding van de heilige Dorothea 1510 - 1555

Joos van Cleve made this pen drawing, ‘Beheading of Saint Dorothea’, around 1515-1520. This piece depicts the moment before Dorothea’s martyrdom, a popular subject during the Northern Renaissance. But let’s consider its cultural context. This was a time of religious upheaval, with the rise of humanism questioning the Church's authority. Dorothea, choosing faith over paganism, reflects the religious tensions of the era. Notice the architectural backdrop – a detailed depiction of a city. Here, the setting isn't just a stage, it's a reflection of the urban environment where the print would have circulated. It's a world of commerce, burgeoning literacy, and evolving social structures. To truly understand this drawing, we need to delve into historical records, religious texts, and artistic traditions of the time. Only then can we appreciate how this image participates in the visual culture of its time.