Het vetgemeste kalf wordt geslacht 1562

Philips Galle made this engraving, The Fatted Calf is Slaughtered, in the Netherlands at the end of the 16th century. The image brings together the everyday with a deeper theological meaning; on the left we see the graphic butchering of an animal, on the right a scene of celebration. This is a depiction of a story from the New Testament, the return of the prodigal son, and the fatted calf is prepared in his honour. Galle uses specific visual codes and cultural references to heighten the meaning of the image for his audience. The Netherlands at this time was dominated by wealthy merchants and the printmaking business was booming; Galle ran a large workshop in Antwerp that produced and exported thousands of prints across Europe and beyond. These prints served as a form of visual communication and moral instruction during the early modern period. The work of historians lies in uncovering the social conditions that shaped artistic production such as this, and this image rewards close attention to the religious and economic context in which it was made.