Aanslag op de predikant J.H. François in de Waalse Kerk / Onrust bij de Waalse Kerk na de aanslag, 1755 1755 - 1756

Simon Fokke created this print in 1755, depicting the attack on the preacher J.H. François in the Walloon Church. But it shows us more than just an isolated event. The image is divided in two, the upper half shows the chaos inside the church. The lower half, the unrest outside. This division illustrates the fracturing of social order. It prompts us to ask: what were the underlying tensions that led to such an eruption of violence within a sacred space? To understand this, we have to delve into the religious and social context of the 18th-century Netherlands. The Walloon Church, serving French-speaking Protestants, represented a minority group within Dutch society. The attack could reflect deeper anxieties about religious tolerance, social inclusion, and the place of minority groups in the public sphere. Examining pamphlets, newspapers, and church records from the period would shed more light on the event. Art like this becomes a window into understanding the complex interplay of social, religious and political forces.