Artwork
Christ Trampling Satan
Christ Trampling Satan is an ink print by the Baroque artist Butts, Jr., Thomas. It dates from 1797 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Christ Trampling Satan is a black‑ink engraving on blue laid paper executed by Thomas Butts, Jr. in 1797. The print measures a modest size typical of late‑eighteenth‑century devotional works and presents a single, centrally placed figure in a dynamic pose against a sparse background of faint clouds.
Subject & Meaning
The composition depicts a muscular, robed figure, identified as Christ, standing triumphantly over a snarling, contorted creature representing Satan. The defeated demon’s twisted expression conveys suffering, while the upright posture of the central figure suggests victory and divine authority, reflecting common theological themes of redemption and the triumph of good over evil.
Technique & Style
Butts employs a network of fine, intersecting lines to model the folds of the robe and the anatomy of the bodies, creating subtle gradations of light and shadow. The engraving’s reliance on line work, rather than tonal washes, produces a crisp, three‑dimensional effect, especially evident in the rendering of the creature’s anguished face and the textured rock beneath the figure’s hand.
Context
Produced toward the end of the eighteenth century, the print aligns with a period when religious imagery was widely disseminated through affordable prints for private devotion. The use of blue laid paper, a relatively expensive substrate, indicates a work intended for collectors or patrons seeking a more refined devotional object.
Artist & collection
