Portret van Johannes Calvijn in een studeerkamer

What it is

This is an engraved print showing John Calvin standing full length in the interior of a study. He wears a dark academic gown and cap and holds a book. An open book lies on a table, with a chair and bookshelves nearby. Two lines of Latin give his name and details below the figure, followed by Latin and Dutch verses in two columns of four lines each. The print is held by the Rijksmuseum in the Netherlands. The title is in Dutch.

Why it matters

The print presents Calvin as a learned scholar, shown with books in his study. This picture of a scholar was a way to honour a religious leader in the Dutch lands after his death. By setting the verses in both Latin and Dutch, the makers reached both learned and wider readers. The print shows how the image of Calvin was shaped for different audiences.

Look closer

• Why do you think the artist placed Calvin among books and bookshelves rather than in a church or pulpit?
• The verses appear in two languages. Who might each column have been written for?
• The print does not name its artist in the record we have. What questions would you ask to find out who made it and why?