Heilige Nicolaas van Myra met drie kinderen in een vat 1632 - 1657

Jean Couvay created this engraving of Saint Nicholas of Myra with three children in a vat in the 17th century. It illustrates a popular legend where Saint Nicholas resurrects three children who were murdered and pickled in a brine tub by a greedy butcher during a famine. Made in the Netherlands, this piece reflects the deep religious sentiments of the time, particularly the veneration of saints and the belief in miracles. The visual codes used here – the halo, the bishop's attire, and the act of resurrection – all reinforce the saint's divine power and his role as a protector of the innocent. The setting of a coastal town, complete with a ship in the background, underscores the importance of trade and seafaring in Dutch society, while also referencing Saint Nicholas's patronage of sailors. To understand this image more fully, we would need to delve into hagiographies, religious texts, and the economic history of the Netherlands. The interpretation of art is always contingent on its social and institutional context.