Hemelvaart van Christus 1790 - 1818

Jan Anthonie Langendijk Dzn made this print of the Ascension of Christ sometime in the late eighteenth or early nineteenth century. Here we see the artist working within well-established traditions for religious imagery, showing us Christ floating upwards to heaven, surrounded by clouds and divine light, as his apostles look on in awe. But it is crucial to recognize that the social function of religious art had changed dramatically in the Netherlands by this period. This is the era of the Enlightenment and revolution, when traditional forms of authority were under intense pressure. Religious imagery was no longer commissioned and displayed by the Church, but had entered the public sphere. It was purchased and consumed by private individuals and displayed in their homes. Prints like this one helped to spread religious ideas in the public sphere, but they also changed the nature of religious experience. Instead of being part of a collective ritual, religious imagery became a matter of individual interpretation and personal devotion. To understand this print fully, we need to explore the social and cultural history of religion in the Netherlands during this period.