Landschap met de Emmaüsgangers 1553 - 1558

Johannes or Lucas van Doetechum created this print, "Landscape with the Journey to Emmaus," using etching. The biblical scene, where Christ appears to two disciples after his resurrection, is rendered as a minor element in a much larger landscape. Produced in the Netherlands, the image reflects a culture grappling with religious change during the 16th century. Landscape prints gained popularity, offering not just aesthetic pleasure but also a sense of national identity. Note how the vast, panoramic view and the detailed depiction of everyday life, from farmers to travelers, emphasize the human relationship to the land. Prints like this, sold in marketplaces or through print shops, made art accessible beyond the wealthy elite, helping to shape public imagination and religious interpretation. Historians examining such works consult period documents, religious texts, and economic records to understand their place in society. The meaning of this image, then, is not just in its aesthetic qualities but in its complex interaction with the social and institutional context of its time.