Man van Smarten 1519

Sebald Beham created this tiny, intricate engraving, ‘Man of Sorrows’ at an unknown date in the 16th century. It depicts Christ, crowned with thorns, displayed to the viewer by a female figure. Beham was one of the German ‘Little Masters’, a group of printmakers known for their small-scale, detailed works. He lived through the Reformation, a time of immense religious and social upheaval. Printmaking played a key role in the spread of new ideas and images at this time. The image evokes contemplation, but how was that practiced? The Reformation saw a shift away from collective religious experience towards private devotion. Prints like this, affordable and portable, catered to that new demand. To truly understand this print, one might delve into religious history, studying the changing role of images, or explore the economic history of printmaking, tracing how these small works found their way into homes and shaped individual beliefs.