Christus knielt voor passiewerktuigen welke door vier engelen worden vastgehouden 1623 - 1660

Pieter de Bailliu created this print, Christus kneels before the Instruments of the Passion, held by four angels, using engraving techniques. Consider how the image creates meaning through its visual codes, cultural references, and historical associations. It was made in the Netherlands, where the Catholic visual tradition was very much alive. This print presents a specific scene from the Passion of Christ, where angels are the central witnesses. The suffering of Christ is presented as a spectacle to inspire religious fervor and a sense of awe. These images played a crucial role in shaping the religious imagination of the time and maintaining institutional power. It is self-consciously conservative and uses its symbolism to reinforce a message of divine authority and social order. Remember, our understanding of art is always shaped by the social and institutional contexts in which it’s made. Historians use a wide variety of research resources to understand the complex relationship between art and society.