Joseph in Pharaoh's Prison 1579

Editor: Here we have Hans Collaert the Elder's "Joseph in Pharaoh's Prison." It looks like an engraving. The figures are so expressive, despite the constraints of the medium. What’s the historical context of imagery like this? Curator: Considering its likely function within a book, this image participates in a longer tradition of using visual imagery to disseminate biblical stories. How does this compare to the role of imagery in religious spaces? Editor: So, this image would have been a public form of religious instruction, outside the church? Curator: Precisely! And the accessibility of these printed images played a crucial role in shaping social and cultural understanding of biblical narratives at the time. It makes you wonder who the audience would have been. Editor: That's really interesting! I hadn't thought about it in terms of public access before.