In openlucht wordt aan vorst op troon een petitie overhandigd

About this artwork

Prent uit: Sudermann, Daniel. Centuria Similitudinum, Hubert Gleichnussen. Straatsburg, Jacob van der Heyden, 1624. (Hollstein German XXVIA 646).

Art Historical Context

This delicate etching by Daniel Sudermann, created in 1624, forms part of the illustrated book *Centuria Similitudinum* (also known as *Hubert Gleichnussen*), published in Strasbourg by Jacob van der Heyden. Measuring just 60 by 85 millimeters, the print depicts a sovereign seated on an outdoor throne receiving a petition from subjects gathered before him. The scene captures a moment of formal address between ruler and people, rendered with the fine lines and tonal contrasts typical of early seventeenth-century etching techniques. Sudermann’s work belongs to a tradition of emblem books that combined images with moral or devotional texts. Such volumes were popular across Protestant regions of Europe, using everyday or allegorical scenes to convey lessons about governance, faith, and civic duty. Printed in Strasbourg—a thriving center of publishing during the Thirty Years’ War—the small-scale etching would have reached a wide audience through affordable book distribution. The modest dimensions and precise linework highlight etching’s role in disseminating ideas efficiently. As one of a hundred illustrations in the volume, this print invites viewers to reflect on the relationship between authority and supplication in both political and spiritual life.