Foltering: verminking van het gezicht 1565 - 1630

Antonio Tempesta created this engraving, "Foltering: verminking van het gezicht," sometime between 1570 and 1630. During the Counter-Reformation, images of martyrdom were circulated to reinforce religious doctrine and inspire devotion. In this print, Tempesta depicts the brutal torture of a saint, potentially Saint Apollonia, known for having her teeth violently extracted. The print serves as a stark reminder of the religious conflicts of the time, as the body of the saint becomes a site of struggle between faith and persecution. This image operates within a broader historical context where the control and representation of the body, particularly the female body, were central to the assertion of power and religious authority. The emotional weight of this piece lies in its graphic depiction of suffering, intended to evoke empathy and piety in the viewer. How does witnessing this scene of torture shape our understanding of faith, power, and resistance in the early modern period?