Christus als Salvator Mundi 1508 - 1512

Lucas van Leyden created this engraving, *Christus als Salvator Mundi*, which translates to Christ as Savior of the World, in the early 16th century. At the time, religious art was commissioned by the church and wealthy patrons, serving as a tool for spiritual guidance. However, this piece comes at a fascinating point in the history of Christianity, as it predates the Protestant Reformation. The image depicts Christ holding an orb surmounted by a cross in his left hand, while he raises his right hand in benediction. He is presented as both divine and human. Van Leyden’s choice to show Christ's bare feet grounds the image with the earthly and the real. Consider what it must have meant for the artist and his audience to depict and view Christ at a time when religious beliefs and authority were being questioned and reshaped. The personal connection with the divine, emphasized by the humanization of Christ, invites introspection and a reevaluation of faith, reflecting the changing religious landscape of the time.