De verschijning van het kruis aan Petrus 1528 - 1594

This is an engraving, "The Appearance of the Cross to Peter," made by an anonymous artist in the Netherlands at an unknown date. The image shows Saint Peter kneeling, gazing up at a vision of angels carrying the cross. Engravings like this played an important role in disseminating religious imagery throughout Europe, especially after the Reformation. Consider the cultural context: the Netherlands was a center of both religious reform and artistic innovation. Prints were relatively inexpensive, which meant that new ideas could circulate widely outside the direct control of the church or the state. They were collected in albums, framed for display, and used as sources of inspiration by other artists. To understand an image like this fully, we can look at everything from theological treatises to economic data. The history of art is inseparable from the broader history of social life. It is in archives, libraries, and museums that we discover the ever-changing significance of art.