Wilhelm Traut, block carver

A man with bulging muscles wields a birch rod while holding down the head of a prisoner who, bound to a column, is forced into a contorted position. The two figures occupy almost the entire sheet, pushing uncomfortably against the edges of the print to emphasize the sense of painful entrapment. This graphically bold devotional image depicts Jesus’s suffering after his arrest. A highly original composition—Jesus is bent to the ground instead of standing in front of a crowd—this work uses unrealistic proportions to heighten its emotional impact. Its interest in drama and depiction of bodies in complicated poses aligns this design with the earlier work of Dutch Mannerist artists, whose influence can also be seen in Giambologna’s river god, exhibited nearby.