Profeet Jesaja 1606 - 1609

Raffaello Schiaminossi made this engraving of the Prophet Isaiah sometime around the turn of the 17th century. Isaiah here is every bit the monumental figure, robed, bearded, and looming, embodying a wisdom handed down through the ages. But consider the circumstances in which an Italian printmaker like Schiaminossi was operating. He was working at a time of great religious and political conflict, soon after the Council of Trent, and he was dependent upon commissions from powerful institutions. Note that the image of the prophet is paired with text reading 'Isaias Propheta', identifying him for a wide audience. This print likely circulated as part of a series, or was collected in an album. It represents a standardization of religious imagery and a consolidation of knowledge around scripture, which was very much a part of the Counter-Reformation. We can better understand this work, then, by considering not only its aesthetic qualities but the historical conditions in which it was produced and consumed. The resources of libraries and archives help us understand the social life of images like these.