Gebed voor de maaltijd c. 1645 - 1740

Christoffel van Sichem II created this woodcut print, titled "Gebed voor de maaltijd," or "Prayer for the Meal," presumably in the Netherlands in the first half of the 17th century. It depicts Noah and his family praying at their table, a scene derived from the book of Genesis. This image gives us an insight into the domestic life of the Dutch Golden Age. The setting for the prayer—a spacious home with vaulted ceilings, a checkered floor, and neatly arranged wine barrels—suggests the family’s affluence. Such visual cues helped to reinforce the era's social hierarchies and religious values of the time. The family’s devotion is further emphasized by their unity in prayer. Studying prints like these requires us to examine the social conditions that shape artistic production. The Rijksmuseum archives, period publications, and family records offer valuable context. Ultimately, this artwork, like all others, gains deeper meaning when we understand its place within its original social and institutional setting.