Tekst over Christus in de hof van Getsemane 1572

This is a page from a book printed in Italy around 1500 by Domenico Mancini and it contains Latin text about Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane. The proliferation of the printing press at this time was tied to a growing culture of humanist learning. It was not only the Church or the very wealthy that had access to literature, so new forms of devotion and religious experience began to emerge. This page gives us insight into this moment through the content of the text, and the very fact that it was printed for public consumption. Such a document invites us to ask about the relationship between the Church as an institution, and the individual's spiritual life. The historian might then investigate how the printing press allowed new interpretations of the Bible to flourish outside of the direct control of the Church. We could also look into personal devotional practices in the late 15th century. This shows us how a single artwork can open a window onto a whole world of cultural and institutional history.