Heilige Maria van Egypte 1588 - 1595

Johann Sadeler I created this engraving of Saint Mary of Egypt sometime between 1550 and 1601. The image depicts Mary in penitence after a life of prostitution, with the features of the landscape and the symbols around her alluding to her spiritual transformation. We can see the visual codes of the period at play here. The skull and crucifix speak to the religious climate of the time, particularly the Catholic Church's emphasis on repentance and devotion amidst the challenges of the Reformation. The Rijksmuseum, which houses this print, has its own history of collecting and categorizing artworks based on religious, national, and artistic criteria. It demonstrates how institutions shape what we see and how we understand art. The print serves as both a devotional object and a moral lesson. As historians, we can delve deeper by researching the lives of women during this period, the prevalence of religious iconography, and the social structures that influenced the production and reception of such works. The meaning of art is always contingent on its social and institutional context.