Christ and The Sheep Shed

Christ and the Sheep Shed is a polemical woodcut made in 1524 by the Nuremberg artist Barthel Beham, one of the Little Masters. Created in the early part of the Protestant Reformation, this woodcut illustrates the beliefs of the artist, as well as other reformers, about the manipulation of the Catholic hierarchy. His work was influenced by reformers, such as Martin Luther, as well as other artists like Barthel’s older brother, Sebald. This woodcut was created during the height of the peasant revolts and, though they were less severe in Nuremberg as opposed to other parts of Germany, the social implications were greatly felt. Though there is little information on this particular woodcut, it represents much of the political and social aspects of the Reformation, and interpretation provides insight on the artist’s perspective of the era. The distribution of woodcuts was one of the most effective modes of propaganda during the Protestant Reformation. “Christ and the Sheep Shed” depicts the radical sentiment of the period in which it was created, and portrays the wide ranging effects of the Reformation and religion on all aspects of German culture. The image is unrealistic as an authentic situation. However, it was used as a symbolic interpretation of the Catholic Church’s manipulation over people and their faith.