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Original fileRemissio Peccatorum, from the Allegories on the Christian Creed
About This Work
In the center, Christ kneels to write in the sand while a woman accused of adultery stands before him, surrounded by accusers in a classical portico. The central image is framed by a complex border of interlacing strapwork and multiple panels containing Latin biblical inscriptions related to the theme of forgiveness. Smaller background vignettes show the three crosses on Calvary and a scene of communal dining, likely the Last Supper.
Created as part of a series on the Christian Creed, this print illustrates the Haarlem Mannerist style of Hendrick Goltzius, who used technical virtuosity to articulate complex theological and philosophical ideas. While specifically religious, the work belongs to the late 16th-century tradition of using high-concept allegorical engraving to synthesize scripture with humanist intellectualism.