Moeder van de Makkabeeën 1588 - 1597

Jan Collaert II made this engraving of the Mother of the Maccabees in Antwerp, a city in the Spanish Netherlands, in the late 16th or early 17th century. The image depicts a scene from the Second Book of Maccabees, a story of Jewish resistance against the Seleucid Empire. The Mother watches as her seven sons are tortured and killed for refusing to renounce their faith. The image emphasizes her strength and piety in the face of persecution. The engraving reflects the religious and political tensions of its time, when the Netherlands was embroiled in a struggle for independence from Spanish rule and Protestants were persecuted by the Catholic authorities. In this context, the figure of the Mother of the Maccabees could be seen as a symbol of resistance against tyranny and a call to remain true to one's beliefs. To fully understand this work, we can consult historical texts, religious commentaries, and studies of the art and culture of the Spanish Netherlands. This will reveal how it functioned within a specific historical and institutional context.