De historie van Adam 1791 - 1812

Editor: This engraving, "De historie van Adam" made by Jacobus Thompson between 1791 and 1812, presents a series of scenes that look like a comic strip, depicting episodes from the Bible. It strikes me as both quaint and a bit unsettling. What kind of dialogue do you think this artwork creates with our modern understanding of history and faith? Curator: I see it as a fascinating visual record of how biblical narratives were disseminated and interpreted in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The artist's choices—in composition, in the selection of scenes, in the inclusion of text—reveal specific cultural and religious assumptions. Editor: Could you elaborate on the cultural assumptions that it might be revealing? Curator: Consider, for instance, the visual hierarchy and the way figures are depicted, and also think about who was accessing these prints, what were they learning, and what did they already know? These aspects speak to power dynamics related to faith, literacy, and access to religious teachings. How might its reception then compare to our contemporary visual culture and the role of images in shaping narratives of identity and belief today? Editor: It’s a huge difference, since mass production changed the speed and reach. This reminds me how artwork is still shaped by cultural context. I understand now the need to interpret it through a historical lens. Curator: Precisely. By examining such works critically, we can learn so much about how societies construct and transmit their values. It offers a lens to examining present beliefs.