Christ as Salvator Mundi c. 1485

This image depicts 'Christ as Salvator Mundi', or Savior of the World. We don't know who created this piece, which is typical of art made before the modern concept of the artist was established. Here, Christ stands between two angels, holding a globe. The globe is topped with a cross, symbolizing Christ's dominion over the earth, a message deeply entangled with the history of colonialism and the spread of Christianity. The lack of individual expression in the figures may indicate that the value of this piece was less about individuality and more about the religious idea it conveys. What does it mean to see an image of religious power that lacks a specific maker? How does the work's anonymity shift our understanding of its purpose, from personal expression to communal belief?