Christus aan het kruis tussen Maria en Johannes - Doen Pietersz.

A hand-coloured woodcut by Dutch printer Doen Pietersz., depicting the Crucifixion with the Virgin Mary and Saint John.

This hand-coloured woodcut by the Dutch printer and publisher Doen Pietersz. depicts the Crucifixion, a subject central to the devotional literature of the early sixteenth century. The composition follows established iconographic conventions, placing Christ at the centre, flanked by the Virgin Mary and Saint John the Evangelist. The figures are rendered with the characteristic bold, expressive lines of the period, typical of woodblock prints intended for inclusion in prayer books or small-scale devotional volumes.

The use of colour, applied by hand to the printed lines, provides a clear distinction between the figures and the background. The deep blues of the Virgin's mantle and the vibrant greens of Saint John's robes create a visual hierarchy that guides the viewer through the narrative. The background features a stylised sky filled with stars, a common motif in Northern European printmaking of the era, which adds a sense of cosmic scale to the scene. The presence of the INRI inscription on the cross and the visible wounds on the body of Christ are intended to evoke a direct emotional response from the reader.

Doen Pietersz. was active in Amsterdam during the first half of the sixteenth century, operating a press that produced various illustrated texts. His work reflects the transition from medieval manuscript traditions to the mass-produced printed book. The print demonstrates the technical limitations and aesthetic choices of early woodcut production, where the emphasis lies on clarity of form and symbolic representation rather than anatomical precision or atmospheric perspective. The inclusion of the artist's mark at the bottom left corner confirms the provenance of this specific block. This piece offers a glimpse into the visual culture of the Low Countries during the Reformation era, where such small-scale prints functioned as portable aids for private contemplation.