Plint van de Kruisiging: c. 1475 - 1477

This is Adriaen van Wesel's ‘Plint van de Kruisiging’, a fragment of a larger sculpture, carved from oak sometime in the late fifteenth century. Van Wesel was working in a world steeped in religious fervor, where the image of Christ's crucifixion carried immense emotional and political weight. As we consider this fragment, it’s impossible not to think about the narratives of suffering and sacrifice that were central to the cultural imagination of the time. The detailed carving, meant to support the scene of the crucifixion, features leaves, which hint at themes of renewal and life. What does it mean to consider this base, the unseen support, as a place of potential growth, even amidst death? It invites us to consider the complex relationship between power, faith, and artistic expression, and how these enduring narratives continue to resonate. How might we re-imagine or re-frame such iconic imagery to reflect our own experiences and understandings of the world?