Mensen in het vagevuur c. 1610 - 1650

"Mensen in het vagevuur" (People in Purgatory) is an etching by Cornelis Galle I, a Flemish printmaker, created between 1610 and 1650. The piece depicts a scene of the Catholic belief of purgatory, with souls in flames reaching upward towards a shining sun, representing the divine light and the "IHS" symbol of Jesus Christ. The image is a powerful visualization of the Catholic doctrine of purification after death, a subject that resonated deeply with audiences during the Baroque period. The work is now part of the Rijksmuseum collection in Amsterdam.