A King Receiving a Present n.d.

Jean Duvet made this engraving, A King Receiving a Present, sometime in the 16th century. Duvet worked in France during a time of enormous social and religious upheaval and, like many artists, his work was shaped by the cultural transformations of the Renaissance and Reformation. Duvet's image presents an idealized vision of kingship, drawing upon classical and biblical imagery to create a sense of timeless authority. The architectural background, reminiscent of ancient Roman structures, evokes a sense of historical continuity. But it would be wrong to see this as simply a conservative image. The king and queen are surrounded by figures offering gifts and gestures of loyalty, reinforcing the idea of a divinely ordained social order. But Duvet was a committed Christian, and his images often contain veiled critiques of worldly power. The image might therefore question the values of the court. Art historians use a range of sources to better understand works of this period. We need to know about the political and religious debates, the literary and artistic sources on which artists drew, and the complex relationship between art and patronage. Ultimately, the meanings of art are always contingent on their historical context.