Bewening van Christus 1700 - 1750

This anonymous print, titled "Bewening van Christus", or "The Lamentation of Christ" was made sometime in the early modern period. It portrays a familiar scene from the Gospels, the moment when Christ's followers mourn over his dead body. Prints such as this one played a key role in spreading religious ideas in early modern Europe. They were relatively cheap to produce and disseminate, so they could reach a wide audience beyond the wealthy elite. The image here draws on a number of visual codes that would have been familiar to viewers at the time, particularly the emotional poses and gestures of the mourners. To fully understand this print, we need to place it in its social and religious context. The rise of print culture in Europe coincided with the Protestant Reformation, so prints became an important tool for both Protestants and Catholics to promote their beliefs. By studying the visual language of these prints, and the ways they were used and circulated, we can gain valuable insights into the religious and political struggles of the time.