John the Baptist Beheaded, AD 23 1685

Jan Luyken created this engraving of ‘John the Baptist Beheaded’ without a date, rendering a scene rooted in AD 23. Luyken, who was raised in Amsterdam within a society shaped by the Dutch Reformation, often grappled with themes of morality and martyrdom. Here, we see a brutal depiction of John the Baptist's execution, a subject matter laden with religious and political undertones. What does it mean to depict such violence? What message is Luyken trying to convey about power, justice, and sacrifice? The somber emotional tone is heightened by the stark contrast between the executioner's casual demeanor and the gruesome reality of the beheading. In the context of the 17th-century Dutch Republic, where religious and political tensions were rife, Luyken’s work invites viewers to confront uncomfortable truths about authority and individual conscience. As we reflect on this scene, perhaps it can serve as a call to resist complacency and to question the narratives that surround us.