Christus wordt gekroond met de doornenkroon 1590 - 1638

Curator: This engraving, "Christ Crowned with Thorns," resides here at the Rijksmuseum. It was made sometime between 1590 and 1638. What's striking to you about it? Editor: The drama jumps right out. It's Baroque, after all, designed to provoke a strong reaction. All these aggressive figures surrounding Christ, pressing that crown onto his head. Curator: Yes, the technique is quite remarkable. The use of engraving and intaglio, specifically, creates a real texture, you know? You can almost feel the roughness of the paper. And consider the labor: each line etched meticulously. Editor: And we cannot ignore the obvious social context. This scene, a pivotal point of religious and political power, resonates throughout Western history, justifying all kinds of atrocities against marginalized bodies. Christ becomes the ultimate symbol of the suffering innocent. Curator: The printing process itself—how it makes these images reproducible, consumable, to be displayed widely, taught as an acceptable narrative for oppression and religious conquest. Editor: Precisely! The consumption is critical here. Prints like this reinforced societal power structures. Who commissioned this? What were they trying to convey to its audience? Curator: Though anonymously made, the artistry involved suggests it wasn’t intended for the poorest audiences. Paper was expensive! The intaglio process requires training and tools—so likely a wealthy patron with clear political or theological intentions. Editor: Look at the composition, almost a visual attack. The crown becomes a grotesque parody of royal authority. And there’s text too! A Latin quote, underlining this theatrical humiliation. I feel a potent blend of anguish and controlled narrative, where empathy becomes a tool for manipulation. Curator: That intersection, between craft and the manipulation of emotions for religious purposes—that's really the core of its continued resonance, isn't it? It underscores our fraught history with image-making as both propaganda and devotion. Editor: It also points to the urgent need to unpack not only what this print means in a vacuum, but what its legacy has meant—how images like these shape contemporary conversations around power, race, and justice. Curator: Exactly. A reminder that art is never truly neutral. Editor: Absolutely, understanding this print’s creation and journey lets us interrogate, not just admire, its power today.