A Gothic Church Interior c. 1490

This print of a gothic church interior was made with engraving by the artist known only as Meester W met de Sleutel. The print gives us some clues about the status of art and the church in the Netherlands at the time. The Reformation had taken hold, so we might see this as a Protestant take on Catholic imagery. We may also see that the gothic style has become a relic of the past, as this image looks back to the architecture of previous centuries. Here, the church is presented almost like a ruin. The print is stripped bare of color, emphasizing the building's structure. Looking at prints like this, we can learn how images of religious buildings circulated, and how they reflected changing attitudes to the church. Studying such images, along with other historical sources, helps us to understand the shifting place of the sacred in society.