Heroines of the New Testament: The Canaanite

The woman is shown in a turban and elaborate robes, looking down at two small dogs that represent her dialogue with Christ regarding 'the crumbs from the master's table.' In the distant background, a small narrative scene depicts her kneeling before Jesus and his disciples. The engraving displays the distinctively fluid, rhythmic line work of the Haarlem Mannerist school.

This work belongs to the circle of Hendrick Goltzius, whose engravings pushed the boundaries of technical artifice to reflect the 'divine' skill of the creator. The series of New Testament heroines reflects a humanist interest in the moral agency and persistence of biblical figures in late 16th-century Dutch thought.