Engel met lantaarn wijst kind de weg 1628

This woodcut, made by Christoffel van Sichem II, depicts an angel holding a lantern and guiding a child through the night. Made in the Netherlands during the early 17th century, the image speaks to the period's religious climate and the role of printmaking in disseminating moral lessons. The small scale of the print suggests it was likely intended for private devotion, perhaps as an illustration in a book of hours or a similar devotional text. The woodcut technique, with its stark contrasts and bold lines, would have been relatively inexpensive, making the image accessible to a broad audience. The iconography of the guiding angel taps into contemporary anxieties about spiritual and moral guidance, reflecting the social and religious upheavals of the time. To fully understand this image, we can turn to period religious texts, social histories of the Netherlands, and studies of the print market in the 17th century. Each of these resources contextualizes the image as a product of its time.