Heilige Ignatius van Loyola 1644

Mattheus Borrekens created this print of Saint Ignatius of Loyola sometime in the 17th century. Borrekens was working in the Southern Netherlands during the Counter-Reformation, when the Catholic Church was fighting to regain influence after the rise of Protestantism. Prints like this one, depicting saints in moments of divine inspiration, played a key role in that effort. Notice how Ignatius is shown in elaborate vestments, his gaze lifted to the heavens, bathed in divine light. This is a vision of Catholic authority, meant to inspire awe and reverence. The book he holds open displays the Jesuit motto, "Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam" - "For the Greater Glory of God." As historians, we look to sources like letters, diaries, and institutional records to understand the world that produced this image. What can this print tell us about the power of the church, the role of art in religious devotion, and the visual strategies of persuasion?