Engel met doornenkroon 1639 - 1670

This is an engraving of an angel with a crown of thorns, made by Petrus Clouwet around the mid-17th century. The image speaks to the religious culture of the time, when the Catholic Church played a central role in society. The crown of thorns is a direct reference to the Passion of Christ, but the figure of the angel raises interesting questions about the institutions of the church and the meaning of faith. Angels were often depicted as messengers between God and humanity, and their presence would have suggested a connection between the earthly and the divine realms. The work was made in Antwerp, a city with a rich artistic and religious history and which was a major centre of the Counter-Reformation. To truly understand this engraving we might look to pamphlets and printed sermons to help us better understand the social structures that shaped its production.