Verraad van Judas - Doen Pietersz.

A sixteenth-century hand-coloured woodcut by Doen Pietersz. depicting the betrayal of Judas, rendered with the distinct graphic style of Northern Renaissance book illustration.

This hand-coloured woodcut by the Dutch printer and publisher Doen Pietersz. depicts the biblical narrative of the betrayal of Judas. The scene captures the moment Judas Iscariot approaches the high priests to negotiate the surrender of Jesus. The composition is typical of early sixteenth-century book illustration, where the narrative is condensed into a single, legible frame. The figures are rendered with clear, bold outlines, a necessity for the woodblock medium, and are dressed in garments that reflect the contemporary fashion of the period rather than historical accuracy.

The use of hand-applied colour adds a layer of visual interest to the print. The palette is restrained, relying on primary and secondary tones to distinguish the figures from the architectural background. The brickwork of the wall and the arched doorway provide a sense of place, grounding the interaction within a defined interior space. The letter 'a' at the bottom of the print indicates its origin as a page from a larger printed volume, likely a devotional book or a chronicle of the life of Christ.

Doen Pietersz. was active in Amsterdam during the early sixteenth century, a period when the production of printed books began to flourish in the Low Countries. His work often combined religious subject matter with the technical constraints of woodblock printing. This print demonstrates the functional nature of such illustrations, which were designed to aid the reader in visualising the text. The stark contrast between the figures and the background, combined with the expressive gestures of the participants, ensures the narrative remains the primary focus. This piece offers a glimpse into the visual culture of the Northern Renaissance, where the dissemination of religious imagery through print became a common practice for both education and private devotion.