Pauselijke tiara en kandelaren, plaat R 1530 - 1536

Nicolaas Hogenberg made this print of a papal tiara and candlesticks sometime around 1500. It brings to mind questions of authority, display, and the power of images in the early modern period. The procession depicted here, with its regal figures on horseback, is a highly structured performance. The tiara and candlesticks, symbols of papal authority, are given prominence. Consider the function of such images in 16th-century Europe. Hogenberg was from the Netherlands, a region undergoing significant religious and political upheaval at this time. The Reformation was challenging the authority of the Catholic Church, and images like this one played a role in shaping public opinion. Were they meant to reinforce papal power, or perhaps subtly critique it? The answer may well be both. By studying such images alongside historical documents, theological treatises, and political pamphlets, we can gain a deeper understanding of the complex social and institutional forces that shaped the art of the period.