The Prophet Jeremiah, from Prophets and Sibyls 1480 - 1490

This engraving of the Prophet Jeremiah was made in Florence, Italy around the year 1500 by Francesco Rosselli. It shows the prophet seated with his head resting on his hand, a gesture of mourning, and an open book on his lap. Rosselli was active in a Florence still under the sway of Savonarola, a monk who preached against luxury and worldliness. The artist’s simple, unadorned style reflects this cultural environment. Rosselli would have been acutely aware of the power of images to influence belief. This is evident in the way he combines a clear and direct visual representation of Jeremiah with a passage of text below. This text identifies Jeremiah as a prophet who foretold the coming of the Messiah. To better understand this image, we could research the religious and political history of Florence at the time, as well as the prints and pamphlets which circulated religious ideas. By doing so we can understand more about the public role of art at this time, as well as the social conditions that shaped its production.