Vrouw vertrappelt een slang c. 1640 - 1695

Eloy Bonnejonne created this print, "Vrouw vertrappelt een slang," using etching. It's an image that presents a powerful woman standing over a serpent, with a child reaching up to her. The visual codes in this image strongly resonate with religious and cultural themes that are found throughout European history. We might see the woman as an allegory of the Virgin Mary, often depicted crushing a serpent to symbolize the triumph over evil, with the child as the infant Christ. This imagery would have been particularly potent during the Counter-Reformation, with its emphasis on Marian devotion. Prints like this one circulated widely and thus played a crucial role in disseminating religious and political ideas. Studying the production and distribution of such prints can tell us much about the social and institutional forces shaping early modern European culture. By researching the artist, Bonnejonne, and the historical context in which he worked, we can gain insight into the complex interplay between art, religion, and society.