Christus in de tuin van Getsemane 1590 - 1638

This print, Christus in de tuin van Getsemane, was made by an anonymous artist. It is currently held in the Rijksmuseum. The print depicts a key moment in the Christian narrative. It shows Christ in anguish, praying to God in the Garden of Gethsemane on the night before his crucifixion. Three of his disciples are sleeping nearby as soldiers arrive to arrest him. Made during the Counter-Reformation, this artwork is both art and propaganda. The image appeals to emotion, inviting the viewer to identify with Christ's suffering. Prints such as this played a vital role in spreading religious ideas during the early modern period. They were relatively cheap to produce and could be widely disseminated. Religious orders and institutions could use them to bolster faith. In the Northern Netherlands, prints were particularly popular in the home as devotional aids. To understand this print, we might consult religious texts, examine the history of printmaking, and explore the role of art in shaping religious belief. By doing so, we can shed light on the social and cultural context in which it was made and used.