Christus als goede herder voor het nieuwe Jeruzalem c. 1560 - 1646

This engraving of Christ as the Good Shepherd before the New Jerusalem was made by Julius Goltzius sometime before his death in 1595. In it, we see Christ guiding his flock to a walled city that represents a new and perfected spiritual community. The image draws heavily on both biblical imagery and the social context of the 16th century. The figure of Christ as a shepherd was a common trope but here it is combined with the idea of Jerusalem, not as an earthly city, but as a spiritual ideal. The engraving was produced in the Netherlands, a region undergoing intense religious and political upheaval at the time. The Protestant Reformation was challenging the established Catholic Church and the Dutch were fighting for independence from Spanish rule. The idea of a New Jerusalem offered hope. Understanding this work requires knowledge of religious history, Reformation politics, and the history of printmaking. Art history is not just about aesthetics; it's about understanding the complex interplay between art, society, and institutions.