A sixteenth-century hand-coloured woodcut depicting the Passion of Christ, produced by the Dutch printer Doen Pietersz.

This hand-coloured woodcut by the Dutch printer and publisher Doen Pietersz. depicts a scene from the Passion of Christ, specifically the moment when Jesus is led away from the court of Herod. The composition is typical of early sixteenth-century Northern European book illustration, where woodcut prints were frequently produced for devotional texts and prayer books.

The artist employs a dense, graphic style, using cross-hatching to define the forms and shadows within the figures. Christ is positioned centrally, his hands bound, while he is escorted by soldiers in contemporary sixteenth-century attire. The inclusion of Herod, seated to the left in an ornate chair, provides a clear narrative context for the viewer. The hand-colouring, applied with a limited palette of red, green, and ochre, adds a layer of visual interest to the stark black lines of the woodblock.

Doen Pietersz. was active in Amsterdam during the early decades of the sixteenth century. His work reflects the transition from medieval manuscript traditions to the mass-produced printed book. The print displays a characteristic attention to detail in the clothing and the architectural elements of the throne room. The monogram visible in the lower left corner confirms the attribution to the workshop of Pietersz. This piece offers a glimpse into the visual culture of the Reformation-era Netherlands, where such prints served as accessible aids for personal meditation and religious instruction. The physical presence of the paper, with its visible texture and the surrounding margins of the original book page, provides a tangible connection to the history of early modern printing techniques.