Kindermoord te Betlehem en de vlucht naar Egypte 1569

Editor: We are looking at Martino Rota's "The Massacre of the Innocents and the Flight to Egypt," from 1569, currently housed in the Rijksmuseum. This engraving…it’s so intensely dynamic, filled with frantic energy despite the medium's limitations. What’s your interpretation of a piece like this? Curator: Well, let’s think about the context. In 1569, religious and political turmoil was rife. The image reflects anxieties surrounding power and persecution. Notice how Rota conflates two separate biblical episodes - the infanticide and the flight – within a single frame. What does this merging of events suggest to you? Editor: It almost feels like it is universalizing the event. It’s not just a single historical episode, but an ongoing cycle of violence and escape. Curator: Precisely. The composition, crammed with figures, creates a sense of unease, but the detailed rendering elevates its purpose. Rota wasn't simply illustrating a biblical story, but was also critiquing the contemporary violence. Think about the role of prints and engravings at that time. Editor: So it allowed broader circulation, making this violence visible to a wider audience and perhaps fueling discourse or even resistance? Curator: Exactly! Images held considerable public significance. Who controlled the imagery, who could access it – all of this directly influenced the shaping of public sentiment. Rota’s print, while depicting a historical narrative, actively participated in contemporary political and social debates. It made accessible the visual narrative of the oppressed, encouraging a kind of dissent against absolute power. Editor: I hadn't considered the powerful role this image had as an accessible form of protest. Thanks so much! Curator: Indeed. Thinking about artworks like this sheds light on how deeply intertwined art, politics and culture can be, and to what degree historical events have been represented to support an ongoing discourse.