Josia 1575

Johann Sadeler I created this engraving of Josia sometime around 1600. He made it using the technique of engraving. Here, Sadeler presents the Old Testament figure, Josia, as a powerful ruler. His body clad in armour, sword at his side, but it is the book he carries that is perhaps the most significant attribute. The book alludes to Josia's importance as a religious reformer. This image was created in the Netherlands during a period of religious conflict. The Protestant Reformation had challenged the authority of the Catholic Church, and the Dutch Republic was fighting for independence from Catholic Spain. Images like this one served as propaganda, promoting a particular view of religious and political authority. Art historians use a wide range of resources – from theological texts to political pamphlets – to understand the complex ways in which art engages with the social issues of its time. The meaning of art is always contingent on its historical and institutional context.