Christ and the Adulteress, Pieter Aertsen, 1559

Scene with christ and the adulteress in the middle ground. The message of the image warns of the sensual dangers of the world. Various birds in the goods on offer refer to this, an allusion to "vögeln" (to vögeln), the term for sexual intercourse in dutch and german, both then and now. The direct eye contact between the market women and the viewer also signaled shamelessness and erotic desire to contemporary observers. Object Type: painting. Genre: religious art. Date: 1559. Dimensions: height: 122.5 cm (48.2 in); width: 180.5 cm (71 in). Medium: mixed technique on oak wood. Collection: Städel Museum. Pieter Aertsen Christ and the Adulteress