La sainte Face couronnee d'epines, (grand format) 1605 - 1650

Jean Morin created this engraving of “La sainte Face couronnée d'épines” in France during the 17th century. The image depicts the face of Christ crowned with thorns, a subject laden with religious and cultural significance. Engravings like these played a crucial role in disseminating religious imagery across Europe, reflecting and reinforcing the power of the Catholic Church. Consider how the intense emotion conveyed through Christ’s expression might have been intended to evoke empathy and piety in viewers. The work invites us to contemplate the social conditions that shaped its production, from the religious patronage systems to the artistic training and apprenticeship of engravers like Morin. To fully understand this print, we must consider the religious and institutional contexts in which it was made and circulated. Researching the history of religious imagery and the role of printmaking in early modern Europe could reveal more about its meaning and impact. Art history emphasizes that even seemingly simple images are contingent on specific social and institutional contexts.