The Massacre of the Innocents

Art Historical Context

In the Prints and Drawings department of the Institute of Chicago hangs Hendrick Goltzius's masterful engraving *The Massacre of the Innocents* (c. 1585-86), a dramatic depiction of the biblical tragedy the Gospel of Matthew. Here, King Herod's soldiers ruthlessly slaughter the infant boys of Bethlehem in a futile attempt to eliminate the newborn Christ. Goltzius, a pioneering Dutch Mannerist engraver from Haarlem, captures the chaos and pathos with swirling figures and expressive poses, drawing from classical influences and his own innovative "swelling line" technique—a method of varying line thickness to mimic the fluidity of brushstrokes. Printed on luxurious ivory laid paper, this large-scale engraving (plate: 48.8 × 37.3 cm) showcases the medium's power for intricate detail and tonal depth, rivaling painting in its monumentality. Goltzius's virtuosic burin work allowed prints like this to circulate widely across Europe, democratizing access to grand artistic narratives during the late 16th century's religious upheavals. This work exemplifies the Northern Mannerist style's emotional intensity and technical bravura, making it a cornerstone of print history. Visitors are drawn to its raw humanity, reminding us of art's enduring role in confronting timeless horrors.

About the Artist

Hendrick Goltzius · 1558–1617

Hendrick Goltzius (1558–1617) was the most celebrated engraver of the Northern Renaissance and a pivotal figure in Dutch Mannerism. Born near the German-Dutch border, Goltzius transformed printmaking into a virtuoso art form through his revolutionary 'swelling line' technique, where the burin was manipulated to create lines of varying thickness that produced unprecedented tonal effects and three-d...