Artwork
The Round Passion: The Betrayal of Christ
The Round Passion: The Betrayal of Christ is a print by the Renaissance artist Lucas van Leyden. It dates from 1509 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
The artist packed a lot of action into a small space, using sharp lines and shadows to show movement.
This engraving shows a dramatic scene of Jesus being grabbed by a group of men. One man holds a spear, another wraps a cloth around Jesus’ head, and a third kneels nearby. In the background, a castle sits on a hill, and a crowd gathers around a lit torch. The edges of the circle are filled with swirling decorative patterns and small figures.
The year "1509" is stamped in the top center, marking when this was made. The artist packed a lot of action into a small space, using sharp lines and shadows to show movement.
If you like this style, look up Renaissance next.
Overview
The Round Passion: The Betrayal of Christ is a 1509 engraving by the Dutch artist Lucas van Leyden. Executed as a circular print, the work depicts a violent episode from the New Testament and is presently held by the Cleveland Museum of Art. It exemplifies early 16th‑century Northern European printmaking, combining narrative intensity with intricate decorative borders.
Subject & Meaning
The image captures the moment when a group of soldiers seizes Jesus, with one figure brandishing a spear, another binding a cloth around the Christ’s head, and a kneeling man nearby. A distant castle crowns a hill, while a torch‑lit crowd gathers, underscoring the tension between sacred suffering and worldly authority that the scene conveys.
Technique & Style
Van Leyden employs fine, sharply cut lines and strong chiaroscuro to suggest movement and depth within the confined circular format. The engraving’s rim is filled with swirling ornamental motifs and miniature figures, a decorative device that frames the central drama. The precision of the hatchwork and the contrast of light and shadow reveal the artist’s mastery of woodcut engraving.
History & Provenance
Created in 1509, the print reflects Lucas van Leyden’s role as an early Dutch practitioner of genre and religious imagery. It entered the Cleveland Museum of Art’s collection through acquisition in the 20th century, where it remains an example of the period’s evolving print culture and the artist’s contribution to Northern Renaissance visual narratives.
Artist & collection
Artist
Lucas van Leyden (1494 – 8 August 1533), was a Dutch painter and printmaker in engraving and woodcut. Lucas van Leyden was among the first Dutch exponents of genre painting and was a very accomplished engraver.
Salome with the head of St John the Baptist
The Virgin and Child
Worship of the Golden Calf
A Game of Chess
Mary with Child, St. Maria Magdalena and founder (separate outside, Inv. No. 7713)
Inner left wing of a diptych with Christ as the Man of Sorrows
Inner right wing of a diptych with the Virgin as Mater Dolorosa
Annunciation
The Round Passion: The Crucifixion
The Round Passion: Christ before the High Priest
The Round Passion: Christ Carrying the Cross
The Round Passion: Christ Crowned with Thorns
The Betrayal of Christ
The Passion: The Betrayal of Christ
The Round Passion: Christ in Gethsemane (Agony in the Garden)
The Round Passion
The Betrayal of Christ
The Passion: The Mocking of Christ