Christus met kruis 1639 - 1670

Editor: Here we have "Christus met kruis", or "Christ with the cross" in English, an engraving made sometime between 1639 and 1670 after Peter Paul Rubens. It feels like a very stoic depiction, very different from more dramatic portrayals of the crucifixion. How should we interpret it? Curator: Considering the historical context, prints like these served a vital role in disseminating imagery across Europe. Religious orders commissioned them and prints could function as devotional aids. Editor: So, it was a tool for spreading imagery, not just an artistic expression? Curator: Exactly. The distribution networks of prints helped to shape popular understanding and devotion to Christ. Rubens’ workshop would have been involved in similar operations. What impact would a relatively reproducible image have in a personal or public setting? Editor: That's interesting, I never thought about it like that. Instead of solely thinking about the artwork’s aesthetic, how and why it would be viewed is equally important. Is there more to the way this work circulated during that time? Curator: Beyond the art market and traditional religious settings, consider also its potential role in schools, hospitals, and even prisons. Images had different, and sometimes contradictory, purposes. Religious prints, while meant to be spiritually uplifting, could also serve as tools for social control. It is important to note the politics of imagery. Editor: Wow, viewing it through this lens, reveals it can have different meanings for different settings, going beyond just aesthetics. I’ll have to consider how these political implications changed overtime as it became an art piece on display. Curator: Precisely. These works change their identities as their roles in our society have developed!