Panels from an organ case in the church of Saint Vitus in Naarden

These panels were carved by Jan van Schayck as part of an organ case for the church of Saint Vitus in Naarden, Netherlands. Standing within a carved gothic frame, a bearded figure is shown in regal attire, holding a sword. The carving has a heraldic shield beneath his feet. As such, the organ case would have been associated with civic pride. The church of Saint Vitus was the main Catholic church in Naarden, a town with a complex history of sieges and occupations due to its strategic location. The carving would originally have been painted and gilded, serving as a symbol of power and status within a religious institution. Art historians would want to know much more about the social and religious context in which this organ case was made. Who commissioned it, and why? What would the music played on the organ have meant to the people of Naarden? These are the kinds of questions that help us to understand the social life of art.