Christ Driving the Money Changers from the Temple

Christ Driving the Money Changers from the Temple by Rembrandt van Rijn is a powerful representation of biblical drama, created in 1635. This work is an exceptional example of Dutch printmaking from the period 1601 to 1650. Executed as an etching on laid paper, the medium allowed Rijn to achieve a striking degree of detail and textural contrast, which defined his distinctive style. The technique involved incising lines into a copper plate with a needle, a demanding practice that the artist mastered early in his career, making him one of the most prolific and celebrated printmakers of the 17th century.

The subject matter depicts the climax of the story narrated in the Gospels, where Christ expels the merchants and financiers from the Temple, accusing them of turning a holy place into a "den of thieves." Rijn’s composition focuses intently on the emotional volatility of the event. Christ is shown mid-action, physically assertive as he brandishes a whip, scattering the panicked figures, their overturned tables, and stray coins across the foreground. The resulting chaos is masterfully rendered through the use of sharp diagonal lines and concentrated areas of shadow, emphasizing the dramatic contrast between the righteous fury of Christ and the immediate terror of the crowds.

This significant print resides within the collection of the National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C., contributing to the museum’s robust holding of Dutch Old Master works. The enduring influence of Rijn’s graphic creations ensured that prints of his compositions became widely sought after and studied. As a historic work central to European art history, high-resolution reproductions and documentation related to this etching are frequently made available through the public domain, granting students and researchers access to this profound visualization of faith and confrontation from the critical timeframe of 1601 to 1650.