Christ Driving the Merchants from the Temple, from The Passion of Christ, plate 3 1664

This engraving, Christ Driving the Merchants from the Temple, was created by Grégoire Huret, a French artist active in the 17th century. Huret used a metal plate to create this print, meticulously incising lines into the surface. Look closely, and you’ll notice how the varying density of lines creates shadow and form. This labor-intensive process allowed for the mass production of images. Engravings like this one played a crucial role in disseminating religious narratives during the period, turning faith into a commodity, much like the merchants within the depicted scene. Notice the scene's chaotic energy: Christ, whip in hand, overturns tables and drives out merchants and animals. Huret masterfully captured the dynamism of the moment through careful mark making. The very act of creating and distributing this image underscores the complex relationship between spirituality, commerce, and artistic production in the 17th century. It reminds us that even religious art could be subject to the economic forces of the time, blurring the lines between the sacred and the secular.