Crucifixion with the Virgin and Saint John, with Four Angels with the Instruments of the Passion - Jacob Matham

A detailed Dutch Mannerist engraving by Jacob Matham, depicting the Crucifixion surrounded by angels and symbolic instruments of the Passion.

This engraving by Jacob Matham presents a complex iconographic arrangement centred on the Crucifixion. Matham, a prominent Dutch engraver and draughtsman from Haarlem, was a student of Hendrick Goltzius, and his technical precision reflects the high standards of the period. The central oval depicts Christ on the cross, flanked by the Virgin Mary and Saint John the Evangelist, while two small putti collect the blood of Christ in chalices. This central scene is surrounded by an elaborate architectural frame, which incorporates four circular medallions depicting additional scenes from the Passion of Christ.

The composition is further populated by four large, seated angels positioned at the corners of the frame. These figures hold various instruments of the Passion, including the cross, the lantern, and the sudarium, which serve as symbolic reminders of the narrative. The lower section features a cartouche containing a Latin inscription, providing a formal dedication. The entire work is executed with fine, controlled lines that define the musculature of the figures, the folds of the drapery, and the decorative elements of the surrounding frame. The use of light and shadow creates a sense of volume within the figures, while the overall structure remains highly organised and symmetrical. This print demonstrates the technical mastery of the burin common among the Haarlem school of engravers, who often combined religious subject matter with sophisticated ornamental design. The work functions as both a devotional image and a display of graphic skill, characteristic of the late sixteenth and early seventeenth-century Dutch printmaking tradition.