Christ on the Cold Stone with Two Angels

Art Historical Context

In the hallowed tradition of Northern European religious art, Jacob Matham's *Christ on the Cold Stone with Angels* (1603) captures a poignant moment of Christ's suffering. The Dutch engraver, a key figure in the Haarlem school and pupil of Hendrick Goltzi, depicts the Man of Sorrows seated on a cold stone slabsymbolizing the tomb or deposition—with two sorrowful angels attending him. Created amid the Counter-Reformation's fervor, this image invited devotional contemplation, blending pathos with Mannerist elegance in elongated forms and intricate details. Masterfully executed as an engraving on ivory laid paper (54.1 × 35.1 cm), the work showcases Matham's virtuoso technique. Engraving, an intaglio process where lines are incised into a copper plate with a burin, allowed for precise, velvety textures and tonal depth, rivaling painting. The luxurious ivory paper enhanced its luminosity, making it a prized collector's item. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Prints and Drawings Department, this large-scale print exemplifies how engravings democratized sacred art, spreading Catholic iconography across Europe during a time of religious division. Matham's piece endures for its emotional intensity and technical brilliance, offering visitors a window into 17th-century piety and printmaking innovation.

About the Artist

Jacob Matham · 1571–1631

**Jacob Matham: Master Engraver of Haarlem** Jacob Matham was born on October 15, 1571, in Haarlem, in the Northern Netherlands, into a burgeoning artistic milieu. Following his father's early death, his mother married the renowned painter and engraver Hendrick Goltzius in 1579, who adopted the young Jacob and trained him rigorously in the workshop as his stepson and pupil. Matham's first signed ...