Allegory of the Meeting of Pope Paul II and Emperor Frederick III c. 1470

This anonymous, undated print allegorizes the relationship between Pope Paul II and Emperor Frederick III. It’s a fascinating artifact of European political culture, likely produced in the German-speaking lands. The image creates meaning through a complex symbolic language. The Pope and Emperor are physically joined, standing atop a structure bearing the names of territories – perhaps suggesting their joint dominion. The scales and other symbolic devices allude to justice, power, and the aspirations of empire. The style is typical of printed ephemera from the period. To truly understand this piece, we'd need to delve into the specific historical context of Paul II’s papacy and Frederick III’s reign. What were the pressing political issues? Were there tensions between the papacy and the empire? Through archival research into the relevant political and religious institutions, we might discover the specific social commentary embedded within this intriguing print. The meaning of art is always contingent on its specific social and institutional context.