Standbeeld van Zeus in Olympia 1572

Philips Galle created this engraving of the Statue of Zeus at Olympia sometime before his death in 1612. The print shows a classical temple, in which stands a massive statue of the god, seated and holding a globe. Galle was a printmaker based in Haarlem and Antwerp, and his workshop produced images for a growing international market. Prints like this spread knowledge of classical art and architecture to a wide audience, but they also reinterpreted classical antiquity through a contemporary lens. The ancient Olympics were associated with civic pride and religious ritual, but here the athletic games also convey ideals of bodily perfection and social harmony. We should note that such harmony was, in reality, always exclusive and was built on slave labor. Historians study such images in relation to the cultural and institutional contexts in which they were made. We look at other prints, books, and documents to understand the meanings they held for their early viewers. The power of this image lies in its ability to reimagine the past in ways that reflect the values and aspirations of the present.