Sacrificial Scene 1489 - 1490

This drawing, Sacrificial Scene, was made by Gian Francesco de Maineri around the turn of the 16th century with pen and brown ink on cream laid paper. Religious sacrifice, a ritual of offering something to a deity, was a widely practiced social activity in Renaissance Italy, an intersection of sacred and social life. In this drawing, the artist presents an imagined scene of Roman sacrifice, a highly visible form of social performance. Maineri has dressed the figures in costumes that recall the exotic orient, using the codes of dress to denote foreignness and the artist’s own access to a wider world of cultural signs. Note also the classicizing architectural setting with its statue of what appears to be a Roman deity. The architectural elements are a common feature in the art of this period, as is the motif of sacrifice itself. To truly understand Maineri’s work, we must consider the complex interaction of social, religious, and artistic factors at play. As historians, we consult written records, visual sources, and material evidence to reconstruct the past. By understanding the social and institutional context in which art is made, we can gain a richer appreciation of its meaning and significance.