Apostel Petrus geneest zieken door middel van zijn schaduw 1697

This small engraving depicts Saint Peter healing the sick with his shadow. It was made by an anonymous artist and is now held in the Rijksmuseum. The image creates meaning through visual codes, cultural references, and historical associations. It comes from the Dutch Republic, a Protestant region in a Europe still largely in thrall to the Catholic Church. The artist has chosen to depict a subject from the Bible, reflecting the central place of Christian belief in Dutch culture at this time. But the choice of subject also suggests a Protestant sensibility, focused on the individual's relationship with God, rather than the intercession of saints and other intermediaries. The architecture depicted is classical, reminding us of the Renaissance humanism that shaped Dutch culture. Historians rely on many kinds of research resources to properly understand works of art like this, including historical documents, religious texts, and art criticism. Through these we can appreciate the complex interplay of social, religious and political forces that went into its making.