Aanbidding door de koningen 1579

Giovanni Battista Cavalieri made this engraving, ‘Adoration of the Kings,’ sometime in the latter half of the 16th century. Here, we see the three kings visiting baby Jesus, bearing gifts. In engravings like this, produced in Italy at this time, we can see a number of important social and institutional influences. Firstly, the Catholic Church was a major patron of the arts, commissioning works that reinforced its teachings and traditions. Secondly, the rise of the printing press meant that images could be disseminated widely, influencing popular belief. Finally, the visual language used, with its references to classical art and architecture, reflects the Renaissance fascination with antiquity. To understand this work better, historians would consider the artist’s biography, the patronage system, and theological debates of the time. What was Cavalieri trying to say about the role of the Church, or about the relationship between the divine and the earthly? The meaning of art is always contingent on its specific context.