Twee schetsen van een kroning 1538 - 1590

Bernardino India created these two sketches of a coronation using pen and brown ink on paper sometime in the mid to late 16th century. The artist, who lived and worked in Verona, Italy, gives us two versions of the same scene on one sheet. During the Renaissance, the patronage system heavily influenced artistic production. India's sketches reflect the era's focus on ceremony and power. Coronations were highly performative events, meant to solidify the ruler's legitimacy. But what do we, as viewers removed by centuries, make of such a display? These sketches invite us to consider how power is visualized and maintained. What does it mean to represent authority through symbols like crowns and robes? How do artists participate in the construction of such imagery? These sketches leave enough room for us to ponder the emotional weight of such rituals and their lasting impact.