Ontwerp voor een met edelstenen bezette miskelk c. 1845 - 1860

Here is a design for a jewel-encrusted chalice, sketched on paper by Frédéric-Jules Rudolphi. Chalice designs like this reveal the role of art as an expression of institutional power, in this case, the Church. We can examine how the image creates meaning through its visual codes and historical associations. Its cultural references evoke medieval reliquaries and other sacred objects. The precious stones that embellish the chalice speak of the sacred rituals it would contain. We might ask whether Rudolphi's design comments on the social structures of his own time, or the traditions of the Catholic Church? Is this design self-consciously conservative or progressive? Does it critique the institutions of art? To better understand this object, we might investigate Rudolphi himself, as well as the broader historical context of church patronage and design. The meaning of art is contingent on social and institutional contexts that deserve careful study.