Dood van de ongehoorzame godsman 1645 - 1740

Christoffel van Sichem II created this woodcut, titled "Death of the disobedient man of God," during a time of religious and political upheaval in the Netherlands. The piece visualizes a story from the Bible’s Old Testament, in which a prophet is killed by a lion for disobeying God's direct command. Here, Sichem uses stark contrasts to depict the prophet's lifeless body juxtaposed with the imposing figure of the lion, while the landscape, complete with a distant city, emphasizes the isolation and finality of the event. Woodcuts like this were often used to disseminate moral lessons and reinforce religious doctrine during the Reformation and Counter-Reformation. The emotional weight of the scene lies in the tension between divine will and human fallibility, a conflict that resonates with the personal struggles of faith and obedience. Ultimately, this work serves as a cautionary tale, reflecting the anxieties and certainties of a society grappling with profound religious change.