Christus in het huis van Marta en Maria 1694 - 1766

Matthijs Balen created this drawing of Christ in the House of Martha and Mary with pen in gray ink and gray wash in the 18th century. The scene depicts a biblical story where Martha is busy with domestic tasks while her sister Mary sits and listens to Jesus. The image creates meaning through visual codes: the active figure of Marta versus the passive figure of Mary, cultural references, and historical associations, which are rooted in the religious traditions of the time. Balen was Dutch, so we should consider how specific features of that culture, such as religion, historical events, social class, political movements, or economic structures, might have influenced the artwork. We might want to consider the role of the church or other religious institutions. As historians, our work is to interpret art by considering the social and institutional contexts in which it was made. We can use research resources like historical documents and cultural studies to understand it better.