Embleem met mannen die portretten schilderen van heiligen om zo hun voorbeeld te volgen 1620 - 1623

This anonymous emblem print was made at an unknown date, using etching. It portrays men painting portraits of saints in order to follow their example. The image uses visual codes to comment on the social structures of its time. We can see that there are artists painting under the guidance of saints, meaning they aspire to be as devout as they were. This form of emulation can be seen as progressive in that, by producing their images, the possibility of sainthood is opened up to anyone who can follow the saints’ examples. However, this artwork also reinforces the cultural authority of the church and its religious iconography. To better understand this, we could delve into archival materials from religious orders in the Netherlands, exploring the history of religious imagery, and looking at what other social roles art fulfilled in the period. By drawing upon these sources, we can start to appreciate the complex and multifaceted role of the artist in society at the time.