Opwekking van Lazarus 1723 - 1769

Johann Georg Trautmann created this print of the Raising of Lazarus, a miracle of Jesus, sometime in the mid-18th century. This print allows us to consider the public role of art in Frankfurt, where Trautmann was based, and other parts of the Holy Roman Empire at that time. Visual codes, like the radiating light around Jesus, reinforce his divinity. The expressions of awe and wonder on the faces of the onlookers, and the way the shrouded Lazarus is emerging from his tomb, all point to a theological message about the power of faith to overcome death. Prints like these were often produced on commission from religious institutions, and were sold to help communicate doctrine to a wide audience. They could also be collected by individuals as devotional aids. Art historians consult church records and other period documents to better understand the social and institutional context for works like this. In this way, the meaning of art is contingent on its time.