The Prophet Joshua, from Prophets and Sibyls 1480 - 1490

This engraving of the Prophet Joshua was made by Francesco Rosselli in Florence, Italy, around 1500. It's an image made for circulation in the print market. But what did these images mean to the people who bought them? Rosselli's Prophet Joshua blends classical and Christian iconography in a way that was typical of the Italian Renaissance. Look at the way Joshua is dressed: in armor, with a sword. The sun in the upper-left corner is a classical motif, while Joshua himself is a figure from the Hebrew Bible. The text at the bottom of the print is a prayer in Italian, asking for forgiveness of sins. Prints like this one were often made to be collected and displayed in the home. They were a sign of piety and learning, and they could also be used as devotional aids. To learn more, you might consult the records of Florentine printmakers' workshops, as well as religious and literary texts that would have been familiar to Rosselli and his audience. By understanding the social and cultural context in which this print was made, we can better understand its meaning and significance.