The Circumcision

Set within a high-vaulted Gothic interior, the composition centers on the Mohel performing the rite upon the infant Christ. Crowded around the central group are onlookers in 16th-century attire, including a self-portrait of the artist looking directly at the viewer from the right. The work is famous for its intricate engraving technique that deliberately mimics the woodcut and engraving style of Albrecht Dürer.

This print is part of Goltzius’s 'Meisterstiche' series, where he demonstrated his virtuosity by perfectly imitating the styles of earlier masters. In the context of the Northern Renaissance, the circumcision was often interpreted by Christian Kabbalists, such as Johannes Reuchlin, as the moment the holy name of Jesus (the Pentagrammaton) was established within the framework of the Old Law.