Johannes de evangelist 17th century

This anonymous engraving depicts Saint John the Evangelist, and it resides here in the Rijksmuseum. The cup from which a snake emerges signifies the legend of John surviving an attempt to poison him. As a symbolic object, this particular kind of cup can be seen as a eucharistic chalice. Given the rampant iconoclasm that swept through the Netherlands in the 16th century, the image may be an oblique commentary on the Protestant Reformation. The serpent, understood in the Christian tradition as both a symbol of evil and of healing, could represent the poison of heresy or the curative powers of true faith. Without knowing the circumstances of its creation, the image's perspective on the tumultuous religious politics of its time remains uncertain. Comparing it to other artworks, pamphlets, and devotional objects can help us to better understand its place in the institutional and cultural landscape of the period.