Christus, de evangelisten en personificaties van het Nieuwe en Oude Geloof 1629

This is an engraving from 1589, created by an anonymous artist as the frontispiece to a book titled "Clavis Scripturae Sacrae," published in Basel. The image is a theological statement, placing Christ at the center, flanked by figures representing the Evangelists and personifications of the Old and New Testaments. Created during the Reformation, the print reflects the intense debates about biblical interpretation. The book itself, authored by Matthias Flacius, aimed to provide a key, as the title suggests, to understanding scripture correctly. This was a period when religious identity and authority were being redefined, and institutions like the printing press played a crucial role in disseminating new ideas. Notice the conscious effort to visually assert a particular theological perspective, framing the reading of scripture within a specific tradition. To fully understand this image, we’d need to delve into the history of Reformation theology, the role of print culture, and the specific debates surrounding biblical hermeneutics. These resources can illuminate the artwork’s complex social and institutional context.