Christus en zijn leerlingen in de storm op het meer van Galilea

About this artwork

verzamelaarsmerk, verso midden onder, gestempeld: Lugt 2228

Art Historical Context

In the turbulent waters of the Sea of Galilee, Abraham de Bruyn's 1583 engraving *Christus en zijn leerlingen de storm op het meer Galilea* captures a pivotal biblical miracle from the Gospel of Mark. Here, Christ calms a fierce storm as his frightened disciples plead for salvation, a scene rich in themes of faith triumphing over chaos. Created during the late Renaissance in the Spanish Netherlands, this small-scale print (162 × 115 mm) reflects the era's fervor for religious imagery amid Reformation tensions, where such works served as devotional aids for Catholic households. De Bruyn, a prolific Flemish engraver and publisher, mastered the intaglio technique of engraving, incising fine lines into a copper plate to produce intricate details—rippling waves, billowing sails, and expressive faces—that convey drama and divine power. Affordable and reproducible, these prints democratized art, circulating widely among collectors and the faithful. The verso bears a collector's mark (Lugt 2228), underscoring its enduring value as a treasured artifact from the 16th century. This intimate engraving invites visitors to ponder humanity's vulnerability and divine reassurance, blending artistic precision with spiritual depth in a format perfect for personal reflection.