Lamentation, from Passion of Christ 1575 - 1600

This is Jan Sadeler the Elder’s engraving, "Lamentation, from Passion of Christ," now at the Art Institute of Chicago. Dominating the scene is the lifeless body of Christ, surrounded by mourners and symbols of his crucifixion, all framed within an ornate oval. The cross looms large, flanked by ladders, while below, the crown of thorns lies discarded. The image calls to mind the deposition scenes of antiquity, where the removal of heroes from battlefields held deep significance. But here, Christ's limp form echoes a universal Pietà—a mother's grief mirrored across cultures, from ancient laments to modern expressions of sorrow. Notice too, the ladder. A potent symbol—evoking not just Christ's descent from the cross, but the very act of ascent and descent that appears in dreams across time and cultures, as a bridge between realms. The emotional power of this image lies in its ability to tap into our collective memory of loss and sacrifice. It is a visual echo resonating through centuries, reminding us that these symbols never truly die, they simply transform.