The mocking of Christ 1644 - 1652

Wenceslaus Hollar made this small engraving, “The Mocking of Christ,” sometime in the 17th century. Hollar was born in Prague, but much of his career was spent in England, working for aristocratic patrons and print publishers. This image depicts the mistreatment of Christ, surrounded by figures in religious garb, and the architecture is adorned with scallop shells. Hollar made dozens of religious images like this, but we should remember that he was active during the English Civil War, a time of intense conflict between Protestants and Catholics. The monarchy was eventually overthrown, and radical Protestants took control of the government. Prints were cheap and portable, and images like this would have been used as propaganda, solidifying group identity and demonizing opponents. As historians, we can look to archives of printed images and political pamphlets to better understand the cultural context of Hollar’s work. The meaning of an image is always shaped by its moment.