Apostel Tomas met winkelhaak 1517 - 1527

Marcantonio Raimondi made this engraving of the Apostle Thomas in the early sixteenth century in Italy. The image presents us with an idealized, almost god-like, figure holding a simple carpenter's square. In its time, printmaking was a relatively new technology, so the mass distribution of images was more possible than ever before. Religious imagery in particular was affected by this shift. Raimondi’s prints would have reached a wide audience, beyond the walls of churches or the halls of wealthy patrons. This Apostle Thomas isn't just a figure of religious veneration, but also a model of human dignity. Notice the bare feet. To understand images like this, we need to consider their place in the broader culture, looking at everything from the economics of printmaking to the evolving understanding of religious figures. Exploring these resources allows us to understand the rich and complex meanings that art carried in its own time.