Petrus, Johannes en de lamme bedelaar in de tempel 1558

Editor: So, this is "Petrus, Johannes en de lamme bedelaar in de tempel" – Peter, John, and the lame beggar at the temple – an engraving by Philips Galle from 1558. It's incredibly detailed! The figures are very expressive, almost theatrical. How would you interpret the story being told here? Curator: I see a powerful commentary on social structures embedded within religious narratives. The beggar represents those marginalized by society, dependent on the charity of others. Consider the gazes: some figures look on with pity, others with indifference. It's a study of power dynamics, who has access to the "temple" – both literally and figuratively – and who is excluded. How might ideas about ableism factor into this work's initial reception in the 16th century, do you think? Editor: That’s fascinating. I hadn’t thought about it in terms of access and power. Thinking about ableism... perhaps the beggar's reliance on Peter and John was seen as divinely ordained, reinforcing social hierarchies? Curator: Precisely. The print participates in a long tradition of depicting disability as both a source of piety and a marker of social difference. The beggar’s assumed lack of agency serves to amplify the apostles' power to heal, a dynamic deeply entrenched in societal beliefs about who is worthy and who is not. But can we also read resistance into this image, a subtle questioning of such established power structures through its very depiction? Editor: Possibly. By showing the moment of intervention, Galle may be subtly highlighting the inherent inequality, even as he reinforces the miracle. Thank you, that gives me so much to think about! Curator: Indeed. And that's the point, isn't it? Art prompts us to question the frameworks that shape our understanding of the world and the individuals within it, even centuries later.