Triomf van Christus (achtste deel) c. 1568 - 1629

This chiaroscuro woodcut, part of a series entitled 'The Triumph of Christ,' was created by Andrea Andreani in Italy sometime between 1588 and 1629. Andreani worked during a period of intense religious and political conflict following the Protestant Reformation. The image depicts a triumphant Christ-like figure, carrying a child, surrounded by monks and other figures who seem to represent the Church. The print uses strong contrasts of light and dark, a visual code which would have resonated at a time when the Catholic church was asserting its authority in response to the Reformation. To understand this image better, we might look at the history of religious imagery in 16th-century Italy, examining the role of the Church as a patron of the arts and the ways in which images were used to promote specific religious and political agendas. Art history reminds us that the meaning of art is always shaped by its historical and institutional context.