Aanbidding door de koningen 1722 - 1766

Johann Everaerts created this print, entitled ‘Adoration of the Kings’ using etching, but the date of its creation is unknown. The work depicts the three kings visiting the newborn Jesus, a popular subject in European art that takes on new meanings in a time of religious division. This print was made during a period of great religious upheaval in the Netherlands, as the Dutch fought for independence from Spanish rule and struggled to define their own religious identity. The imagery draws from the Bible, but it also speaks to contemporary concerns about the role of the church and the relationship between spiritual and earthly power. The print's landscape setting and the presence of soldiers suggest the religious turmoil of the time. To better understand the cultural milieu from which this print emerged, we would need to look at the history of religious printmaking in the Netherlands, theological debates of the time, and the social and political context in which Everaerts was working.