Christ before Caiaphas, from The Passion of Christ

This engraving depicts the moment Christ is brought before the seated High Priest Caiaphas, who stands and begins to tear his robes in a gesture of condemnation. The scene takes place at night under a crescent moon and starry sky, with the figures dramatically illuminated by torches and a lantern. A crowd of soldiers and witnesses in varied costumes, ranging from contemporary Dutch dress to exotic turbans, surrounds the central confrontation.

As part of Goltzius's 'Passion' series, this work reflects the artist's 'Protean' ability to emulate the style of earlier masters like Albrecht Dürer, a concept of artistic transmutation that parallels the alchemical interests of the Haarlem Mannerists. This technical virtuosity was celebrated by Karel van Mander, whose writings on art theory were central to the intellectual and philosophical circles of the late Northern Renaissance.