Besnijdenis van Christus

A youth in the foreground holds a massive two-branched candle, sending thick plumes of smoke into the high, arched ceiling of a Renaissance-style temple. The infant Christ is held by a priest over a basin while a diverse group, including a self-portrait of the artist on the far right, watches the ceremony. The engraving uses dense, swelling lines to create deep perspective and intricate textures in the figures' robes.

This print is part of Goltzius’s 'Meisterstiche' series, where he famously showcased his 'protean' talent by perfectly mimicking the style of Albrecht Dürer. This ability to transform his artistic hand was celebrated by contemporary Dutch humanists as an intellectual feat, aligning with Renaissance concepts of the artist as a creator who masters the laws of nature and history.