Besnijdenis 1573

Philips Galle created this engraving, titled "Besnijdenis," in the Netherlands sometime between 1550 and 1600. Here we see the circumcision of Christ, a common subject in European art during this period. Galle worked as a printmaker for Hieronymus Cock, whose publishing house, "Aux Quatre Vents," was based in Antwerp. The prevalence of printmaking at this time gave artists the ability to disseminate their work to a broad audience, and, in turn, this created an art market more responsive to popular taste. Religious imagery like this was very popular. To understand the cultural context of this engraving, one might consider the theological debates surrounding the sacraments during the Reformation. Art historians rely on sources like period publications, letters, and institutional records to explore these questions. Studying art like this within its historical context reveals its meaning as contingent and shaped by the social and institutional forces of its time.