Christus ontkleed door de soldaten 1589

Johann Sadeler I made this engraving, "Christ Stripped by Soldiers," sometime between 1550 and 1601, the year of his death. Sadeler was a Flemish artist working in the Northern Renaissance tradition, a period marked by religious conflict and the rise of powerful merchant cities. This image depicts a moment from the Passion of Christ, but it also reveals the social and political dynamics of 16th-century Europe. The Roman soldiers, rendered with grotesque features, strip Christ of his garments, a symbolic act of humiliation and dehumanization. Notice how the artist has portrayed the figures around Christ, with varying degrees of compassion or indifference. Sadeler's print invites us to contemplate the relationship between power and vulnerability, justice and cruelty, and the role of faith in the face of suffering. To fully understand this artwork, we can consult historical texts, theological treatises, and social histories of the period. Each of these resources can give us insights into the complex world that shaped Sadeler's vision.