On the German Gods

This copperplate engraving depicts a scene in a clearing before a dark forest. On the left, a bearded man wearing a laurel crown and robes holds a ritual chalice and a curved knife. A severed head lies at his feet. In the center, a person lies face down on the ground in a submissive or sacrificial posture. To the right, a woman holds a large drum and a flute. A skull and another severed head rest on the ground near her. The foreground shows jagged mountain peaks. This imagery reflects 18th century ideas about the mysterious and often violent nature of ancient northern rituals.

Engraved by Bruhl in Leipzig. original: "Bruhl sc. Lips." An abbreviation for "Bruhl sculpsit Lipsiae." Leipzig was a leading center for book production and engraving.