Worship of the Golden Calf
Lucas van Leyden
c. 1530
This biblical narrative, showing the Israelites who were disloyal to God by worshipping the golden statue of a calf, was set by Lucas van Leyden in a continuous landscape. The triptych warns against faithlessness and debauchery. The choice of this rare subject is perhaps connected to the rise of Protestantism, with its strong aversion to the Roman Catholic veneration of religious images.
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam · Image: Rijksmuseum, Public domain · Text: Rijksmuseum, CC0