De Mens moet zijn begeerten doden 1578 - 1582

"De Mens moet zijn begeerten doden," a 1578-1582 engraving by Hendrick Goltzius, depicts a scene of Christian allegory. A female figure hangs from a tree, her body pierced with nails, while a man in the foreground nails a snake to a cross. This dramatic composition, created using masterful lines and contrasts, serves as a powerful visual message about the struggle between temptation and spiritual strength, a theme explored in Dutch art of the 16th century. The artwork is held at the Rijksmuseum and measures 200 mm in height and 152 mm in width.