Christus met een sikkel, het beest met de hoorns als van een lam en de zevenkoppige draak by Christoffel van (II) Sichem

Christus met een sikkel, het beest met de hoorns als van een lam en de zevenkoppige draak

before 1646

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Artwork details

Medium
print, engraving
Dimensions
height 112 mm, width 75 mm
Location
Rijksmuseum
Copyright
Rijks Museum: Open Domain

Tags

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medieval

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print

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figuration

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line

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pen work

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history-painting

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engraving

About this artwork

"Christ with a sickle, the beast with horns like a lamb and the seven-headed dragon" is a woodcut made by Christoffel van Sichem II. This image evokes the intense religious and political climate of the 17th century. Consider the cultural backdrop against which Sichem created this piece, a time marked by the Reformation and Counter-Reformation, where religious imagery was both a tool for devotion and a site of ideological struggle. The figures of Christ, the lamb-like beast, and the seven-headed dragon aren't just figures in a biblical narrative, they are symbols loaded with meaning. How do we interpret this complex iconography today? Sichem uses stark contrasts and detailed lines to draw us into a world of spiritual conflict. It reflects the anxieties of a society grappling with shifting religious landscapes and the ever-present struggle between good and evil, inviting us to reflect on these timeless themes.

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