Martelaarschap van Johannes de Evangelist 1502

Ieronimus Greff von Frankfurt created this woodcut, "Martyrdom of John the Evangelist", around 1500. The stark monochrome intensifies the drama of the scene, with dense, interwoven lines generating a sense of chaos and activity. The composition is structured to emphasize the saint's ordeal. Note how Greff uses contrasting textures to draw our eye: the smooth skin of John against the rough, jagged flames and the ornate robes of the onlookers, set against their grotesque faces. This juxtaposition highlights the theme of spiritual purity amidst worldly corruption. The artist also uses perspective to create a sense of depth. The architectural setting and the crowd recede into the background, framing the central action and heightening its emotional impact. Through these formal devices, Greff constructs a complex visual narrative that resonates with the religious and philosophical concerns of his time, inviting us to contemplate the nature of faith, suffering, and the power of divine intervention.