Drie koningen onderweg naar Betlehem 1629 - 1740

Christoffel van Sichem II created this woodcut titled 'Three Kings on their way to Bethlehem.' Consider how the artist, working in the Netherlands, visually interprets a biblical story set in the Middle East. The cultural lens through which Sichem approaches this religious narrative reflects the complex interplay between artistic interpretation and cultural understanding. Who are the Magi here and what do they represent? What does it mean to depict them as 'kings', who are they kings of? The journey to Bethlehem becomes a stage for exploring themes of faith, cultural exchange, and the power of visual storytelling. Note how the text accompanying the image reflects a didactic purpose, typical of the period, aiming to instruct and inspire religious devotion. This print invites us to consider the relationship between the sacred and the cultural, the personal and the communal, as mediated through the artist's vision and the viewer's interpretation.