Cornelius knielt voor apostel Petrus 1697

This small print, titled "Cornelius Kneeling before the Apostle Peter," was made by an anonymous artist. It is currently held in the Rijksmuseum. The print captures a pivotal moment of early Christian history; Cornelius, a Roman centurion, kneels before Saint Peter, a gesture of reverence that Peter immediately rejects. This biblical scene speaks to the overturning of social hierarchies that Christianity introduced. The Roman Empire had a rigid class structure, but Christian teaching emphasized spiritual equality. Here we see an inversion of social norms as a soldier submits to a religious figure. To fully understand this print, we can consult theological texts that would have been known in the 17th century when it was made, as well as studies of social class in Rome and Europe. Art is never made in a vacuum, and understanding its context helps us grasp its meaning.