Ontmoeting tussen Christus en Veronica 1560 - 1600

Johann Sadeler I created this engraving, "Ontmoeting tussen Christus en Veronica," around 1600 in the Netherlands. The image depicts Christ's encounter with Veronica on the way to Calvary, framed within an oval and surrounded by symbolic ornamentation. This work reflects the religious and cultural context of the Counter-Reformation. Sadeler, working in a region with strong Catholic and Protestant tensions, uses the image of Christ to convey messages about faith and salvation during a time of intense religious conflict. The surrounding motifs—such as the cherubs, eagles, and grotesque figures—might allude to contemporary debates about spiritual authority and the role of the Church. The image thus becomes a battleground for competing theological interpretations. To fully understand this print, one could investigate the histories of religious printing and distribution in the Low Countries, the symbolism of its decorative elements, and the patronage networks that supported artists like Sadeler. Only through such contextual analyses can we grasp the full meaning of this image.