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About This Work
The scene shows a collapsed Christ wearing a crown of thorns, struggling with the wooden cross as a muscular soldier pulls him forward with a rope. He is surrounded by a dense crowd of figures, including Simon of Cyrene assisting with the cross and armored soldiers on horseback. In the distance, the city of Jerusalem is visible, characterized by high towers and a domed building.
Aegidius Sadeler was a central figure in the circle of artists serving Emperor Rudolf II in Prague, a major center for Northern Mannerism and Hermetic philosophy. While this image is a traditional religious scene after Marten de Vos, it reflects the intense, dynamic style favored by the 'Rudolfine' artists who frequently integrated esoteric and alchemical allegories into their work.
Inscriptions
M de vos f. Sadeler ex CVIVS PRINCIPATVS SVPER HVMERVM EIVS . Isai: 9
Translation
M de vos f. Sadeler ex THE GOVERNMENT SHALL BE UPON HIS SHOULDER . Isai: 9
Connected Texts
Thomas à Kempis
The visual depiction of Christ's struggle aligns with the 'Imitatio Christi' (The Imitation of Christ), a central text of Northern European devotion that influenced later esoteric concepts of the soul's refinement through suffering.
Provenance & Source
Object
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
paper
height 200 mm x width 147 mm
religious
Linked Data
AI AI-cataloged fields generated by gemini-3-flash-preview on April 2, 2026. Getty identifiers are AI-inferred and may require verification.