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Original file
About This Work
The scene shows Bishop Rupert in full mitre and vestments pouring water over the kneeling Duke within a grand classical hall. Observers and attendants crowd around the baptismal font, which is decorated with classical reliefs, while a small dog stands in the foreground. A large circular canopy or light fixture hangs directly above the central action, framing the moment of conversion.
Aegidius Sadeler was the principal court engraver to Emperor Rudolf II in Prague, a court famous for its deep involvement in alchemy, Hermeticism, and natural philosophy. While the subject is hagiographic, the print's production within the 'Rudolfine' circle links it to the high-water mark of Mannerist printmaking that served both the Counter-Reformation and the intellectual elite of the Holy Roman Empire.
Inscriptions(Latin)
S. RVPERTVS. Presulis vnius quid non valet inclita virtus, Cuius ab ore Deum Boica tota bibit? Lustrat caelesti THEODONEM fonte RVPERTVS, Et dominum gentis tollit ad astra caput. Ille suis maior, quos cernuus ante colebat, Dijs, calcat pedibus numina culta suis. Gens imitata ducem melius quoque numen adorat, Nam regis pietas, fit pia norma gregis. 15
Translation
S. RUPERT. What can the renowned virtue of a single prelate not achieve, From whose mouth all Bavaria drinks of God? RUPERT illuminates THEODO with the heavenly font, And lifts the head of the lord of the nation to the stars. He, greater than his own, whom he formerly worshipped bowed down, Tramples with his feet the deities once revered. The people, imitating their leader, adore a better deity too, For the piety of the king becomes the pious norm for the flock. 15
Connected Texts
Aegidius Sadeler
As the imperial engraver to Rudolf II, Sadeler's output was central to the visual culture of the most esoterically-inclined court of the Renaissance.
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Provenance & Source
Object
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
paper
width 156 mm x height 220 mm
religious
Linked Data
AI AI-cataloged fields generated by gemini-3-flash-preview on April 2, 2026. Getty identifiers are AI-inferred and may require verification.