Verzoeking van Christus in de woestijn 1598 - 1618

Cornelis Galle I created this engraving, *Verzoeking van Christus in de woestijn*, which translates to *The Temptation of Christ in the Desert*, sometime between 1576 and 1650. Galle was part of a prolific family of printmakers in Antwerp during the Counter-Reformation. Here, we see the Devil tempting Christ to turn stones into bread, a moment rife with the era’s religious tensions. The engraving doesn't just depict a biblical scene; it subtly reflects the anxieties of a society grappling with shifting religious identities. The Devil’s offer to alleviate hunger speaks to deeper questions about faith, power, and material needs. Galle invites us to reflect on the choices we face when confronted with our own desires and the seductive whispers of temptation. Through the artist’s skilled rendering, what emerges is a powerful meditation on the human condition. The image encourages us to consider how external pressures and internal struggles shape our own spiritual and ethical pathways.