Jozef door zijn broers verkocht 1783

John B. Skippe rendered this print, *Joseph Sold by His Brothers*, portraying a seminal biblical narrative. At its heart, the tense figure of Joseph being pulled down resonates deeply with the archetypal motif of sacrifice, a theme stretching from antiquity to contemporary art. Consider the parallels with depictions of Christ's deposition, where the limp body evokes profound empathy. This image, and others like it, capture a primal, human moment of betrayal and anguish. The lowered gaze and huddled posture recur across cultures, seen, for instance, in mourning figures from ancient Roman sarcophagi to medieval lamentation scenes. Each iteration reflects a collective memory of loss, a subconscious echo of past suffering. The emotional potency of these scenes lies in their ability to tap into a universal, shared experience. The gesture of offering, the downward pull, the averted eyes—each carries a weight of centuries, engaging viewers on a profound level. The motifs resurface, evolve, and take on new meanings in different historical contexts.