Christus aan het kruis, met Maria en Johannes de Doper 1600 - 1610

Elias van den Bossche created this engraving, "Christ on the Cross, with Mary and John the Baptist" at an unknown date, which invites us to consider the cultural and religious contexts that shaped its creation and reception. In this image, we see the familiar iconography of the crucifixion. Yet, It’s impossible to separate this depiction of religious suffering from its historical role in shaping cultural identities, particularly around gender. Mary, traditionally a figure of sorrow and empathy, kneels in grief, embodying a specific expectation of female emotionality. John the Baptist stands to the side, looking up at Christ. How do these traditional representations either console or challenge our understandings of faith, suffering, and identity? How does it speak to our own emotional responses to loss and sacrifice?