Blessed are they who do hunger and thirst after righteousness. The presentaion in the Temple 1564 - 1567

Harmen Jansz. Muller created this print, "Blessed are they who do hunger and thirst after righteousness. The Presentation in the Temple," during the latter half of the 16th century, a time of immense religious and social upheaval. The scene is set during a feast. Christ gestures emphatically while a woman kneels prostrate before him. The men at the table look on. Muller, working in the Northern Renaissance tradition, situates this biblical narrative within a context of rising religious tensions and the Reformation. Consider the power dynamics at play here: Christ's radical message of spiritual hunger and justice challenges the established order, represented by the seated figures. The kneeling woman embodies humility and devotion. This image invites us to reflect on the intersections of faith, power, and social justice. What does it mean to hunger and thirst for righteousness in a world marked by inequality and oppression? And how do we, like the woman in the print, position ourselves in relation to these enduring questions?