Afra virgo before 1558

Enea Vico created this engraving, titled 'Afra virgo', in Italy, sometime in the mid-16th century. Vico was one of the first Italian printmakers to reproduce his own designs, as well as those of other artists. Here we see the figure of Saint Afra, a Christian martyr, her name inscribed beside her. The image creates meaning through visual codes and cultural references; in the context of the Reformation and Counter-Reformation, the subject matter of early Christian martyrs was highly charged. The cult of the saints was encouraged by the Catholic Church and criticised by Protestants. As an art historian, I'm interested in the social conditions that shape artistic production, so to understand Vico's work better, I would look at the religious politics of mid-16th century Italy. What was the public role of art? What was the politics of imagery? The meaning of art is contingent on social and institutional context.