Christus wekt een dood meisje tot leven before 1700

Richard van Orley’s engraving captures Christ raising a young girl from death, a profound symbol of resurrection and divine power deeply embedded in Christian iconography. The central motif of the raising of the dead echoes across cultures. We see the gesture of the outstretched hand, a conduit of life, reminiscent of ancient Egyptian depictions of pharaohs bestowing life upon their subjects. The scene is charged with an emotional intensity that speaks to humanity's eternal struggle against mortality, touching a deep, subconscious fear of death and longing for immortality. The girl's lifeless form contrasts sharply with Christ's commanding presence, a visual representation of the triumph over death. This scene resonates with earlier depictions of miraculous healings, yet it gains unique emotional depth through the intimate setting and the raw expressions of onlookers. The motif is not merely repeated; it's reborn, infused with new psychological weight. It's a cyclical return, continuously evolving, as it resurfaces in the collective consciousness.