Kindermoord te Betlehem

A dense and chaotic scene of violence unfolds within a stone courtyard, characterized by the dramatic foreshortening and twisting figures of the Mannerist style. Mothers are seen in desperate physical struggle with soldiers, while others attempt to flee through an archway in the background. The composition uses high-contrast lighting to emphasize the muscularity of the figures and the intensity of the grief.

Aegidius Sadeler was a central figure in the court of Emperor Rudolf II in Prague, a major hub for Western esotericism, alchemy, and Mannerist art. This print, executed after a composition by Tintoretto, demonstrates the 'difficultà' and technical virtuosity prized by the Rudolfine circle as a reflection of the artist's intellectual and spiritual 'ingenium'.