Passio verbigenae quae nostra redemptio Christi

An oval-framed composition depicting two tiers of biblical narrative: the upper register shows Christ bound by soldiers before a high priest, while the lower register depicts Saint Peter by a fire denying his association with Jesus. The central scenes are encased in an elaborate Mannerist frame featuring symbolic animals like a rooster, a lion, and grotesque fish. The work utilizes complex strapwork and architectural pillars to create a dense, highly symbolic devotional image.

The title 'Passio Verbigenae' identifies Christ as the 'Word-born,' reflecting a Renaissance Neoplatonic emphasis on the Logos as the mediator between the divine and material worlds. The Sadeler family and Marcus Gheeraerts were central to the dissemination of this intellectualized, highly decorative style across Northern Europe and the court of Rudolf II, where art was viewed as a mirror of cosmic and divine order.