Pilatus in debat met de Farizeeërs 1585 - 1586

Philips Galle made this engraving, Pilate in Debate with the Pharisees, sometime before his death in 1612. It depicts a scene from the New Testament in which Jewish authorities demand that the Roman governor Pontius Pilate sentence Jesus to death. Galle was Flemish, and his depiction reflects the religious and political tensions of the Netherlands in the late 16th century. The Pharisees’ insistence on their own strict interpretation of religious law mirrors the conflicts between Catholics and Protestants during the Reformation. Galle’s depiction of Pilate as caught between these factions reflects the difficult position of political leaders amidst religious conflict. To understand this image better, we can look into the history of religious conflict in the Netherlands and study the visual culture of religious debate in the 16th century. This print is more than just an illustration of a biblical story; it's a window into the complex social and political landscape of its time.