Jael Killing Sisera, ornamental frame 1512 - 1522

Lucas van Leyden made this engraving, "Jael Killing Sisera," sometime in the first third of the 16th century. It depicts a scene from the Book of Judges, in which Jael, a woman, murders Sisera, a general, by driving a tent peg through his skull. Images such as this played a vital public role in the Netherlands at the time. Engravings, unlike paintings, could be reproduced and widely distributed. This print reflects the religious and political turmoil of the Reformation era, where biblical stories were often invoked to comment on contemporary issues. The dramatic composition and meticulous detail, typical of Northern Renaissance art, serve to underscore the gravity of the scene. Prints such as these offer us insight into the social values, religious beliefs, and political anxieties of the time. By studying such images, along with related texts and documents, we can better understand the complex interplay between art and society in the early modern world.