The Resurrection, from "The Passion of Christ"

Art Historical Context

Behold *The Resurrection*, a striking engraving from the series *The Passion of Christ*, around 1598–1617 and attributed to Hendrick Goltus or an anonymous artist in his circle. Hendrick Goltzius, a leading Dutch Mannerist engraver, was renowned for his virtuosic technique that blurred the line between print and painting. This small yet powerful sheet (7 5/8 × 5 in.) captures the triumphant moment of Christ's rising from the tomb, surrounded by radiant angels, embodying the hope and drama of the biblical narrative. As part of a Passion cycle, the work reflects the intense religious fervor of the late Renaissance and early Baroque eras in Northern Europe, where prints like this served as affordable devotional aids for the faithful amid the Reformation's spiritual divides. Goltzius's engraving technique—using a sharp burin to incise intricate lines—creates swelling forms, dramatic chiaroscuro, and a sense of swirling energy, mimicking the swelling musculature and emotional intensity of Mannerist art. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Elisha Whittelsey Collection, this print highlights engraving's role in disseminating sacred imagery to wide audiences, making grand religious scenes accessible beyond church walls. A testament to artistry's power to inspire faith, it invites visitors to ponder resurrection's enduring mystery.

About the Artist

Anonymous|Hendrick Goltzius

In the vast tapestry of art history, "Anonymous" stands not as a singular individual but as a collective designation for countless unidentified creators whose works have endured across millennia. These artists, spanning prehistoric cave painters to medieval illuminators and folk craftsmen, produced the foundational layers of human visual culture. Prior to the Renaissance, when individual fame emer...