The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem 1541 - 1551

Domenico dalle Greche created this engraving of The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem around the late 16th century. It depicts the church as a bustling public space. We see the architecture of the church rendered with great attention to detail; however, the engraver's artistic license is evident in the exaggerated perspective and idealized portrayal of the site. European artists often depicted Jerusalem and its holy sites, reflecting the religious and political interests of their patrons. The print would have been made in Italy. The Roman Catholic Church was a dominant cultural and political force, commissioning art that reinforced religious doctrine. Prints like these also served a documentary purpose, allowing Europeans to visualize distant lands and their monuments, thereby expanding their worldview. To fully understand this print, we can examine travel literature, architectural drawings, and the history of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre itself. Art offers insights into how societies perceive and represent their world.