Christ Summoning Peter and Andrew 1776

Richard Earlom created this print, Christ Summoning Peter and Andrew, using etching and engraving techniques. The composition is structured around a receding horizon, bisected by the divine light emanating from the sky, creating a play of light and shadow that pulls the viewer into the scene. Earlom masterfully uses line and texture to differentiate between the solid, rugged coastline and the fluid, reflective sea. The figures are small, almost subsumed by the landscape, which encourages contemplation on the relationship between humanity and the natural world. The lines not only depict the scene but also create an emotional depth. This work reflects the Enlightenment interest in landscape and the sublime, yet it also frames a moment of religious calling. Earlom, through the structure of his composition, invites a semiotic reading, where light represents divine intervention and the sea symbolizes both opportunity and uncertainty. The horizon, therefore, marks not just a visual boundary but also a threshold of transformation.