Christ Disrobed by the Soldiers, from Passion of Christ

Art Historical Context

Jan Sadeler I, a Flemish engraver active in the late sixteenth century, created this intimate scene as part of his *Passion of Christ* series. The image captures the moment when Roman soldiers strip Christ of his garments before the Crucifixion, a pivotal episode in Christian narrative that emphasizes both humiliation and impending sacrifice. Sadeler’s precise line work renders the figures with quiet intensity, inviting viewers to reflect on the human drama of the event. Executed as an engraving on ivory laid paper, the work exemplifies the reproductive power of printmaking during the Renaissance and Reformation eras. Engravings like this one could be produced in multiples and distributed widely, allowing people across Europe to encounter devotional imagery in their homes or churches. Measuring just over six inches in height, the small format further suggests it was intended for personal contemplation rather than public display. Housed today in the Art Institute of Chicago’s Department of Prints and Drawings, the piece preserves the fine detail and tonal range characteristic of Sadeler’s technique. Its creation between 1575 and 1600 places it amid a period of intense religious fervor, when printed images played a vital role in shaping popular faith and devotion.

About the Artist

Jan Sadeler, I · 1550–1600

Jan Sadeler I (1550–1600) was born in Brussels and became the most prominent member of the largest and most successful dynasty of Flemish printmakers in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The Sadeler family — which included Jan's brothers Aegidius and Raphael — produced an extraordinary volume of engravings that circulated across Catholic Europe, disseminating images of religious subjects, p...