Bartholomeusnacht, 1572 1650 - 1695

Editor: This print, Bartholomeusnacht, 1572 by Gaspar Bouttats, likely created between 1650 and 1695, uses etching to depict a chaotic scene. There’s violence everywhere, bodies being thrown from buildings… It's quite disturbing. What can you tell me about it? Curator: This etching is indeed a powerful depiction of the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre. Bouttats, working nearly a century later, wasn’t simply recording an event; he was participating in a longer history of representing religious violence. What strikes you about the figures themselves? Editor: Their expressions are mostly obscured, but their actions are very clear. There’s a distinct difference in power, some actively attacking, others clearly victims. It seems to portray an extreme state of injustice. Curator: Exactly. Bouttats uses the architectural setting—the city, the buildings—to frame this power dynamic. The city becomes a stage for intolerance. This work wasn't created in a vacuum; can you think of how contemporary social and political contexts might have shaped the way Bouttats approached this subject? Editor: Perhaps he intended it as a warning? The Baroque period was rife with conflict, religious and otherwise… Maybe this echoes anxieties of Bouttats’ time? Curator: Precisely. By looking back at this historical event, he may be commenting on similar patterns of prejudice in his own society. Do you see this print speaking to anything today? Editor: Well, unfortunately, I think it reflects the continuous struggle for religious tolerance and how easily political narratives can be twisted to justify violence against minority groups. It's still incredibly relevant. Curator: Agreed. Examining this etching, we can uncover uncomfortable truths about how power and prejudice have shaped our history and continue to inform the present. Thank you for bringing such insightful questions to the conversation.