Foltering: het afstropen van de huid 1565 - 1630

Antonio Tempesta created this etching, "Foltering: het afstropen van de huid," depicting skinning as torture. The image presents a scene of brutal punishment, common in early modern Europe, but also reflects the cultural and religious contexts of the 16th and 17th centuries. Produced in the Netherlands, this print resonates with the era’s religious conflicts and political unrest. The act of skinning, depicted with unsettling detail, takes place in front of classical architecture, and seems to be a pointed reference to institutional power and the brutal enforcement of social and religious norms. The fine lines and stark contrasts in the etching, typical of the period, enhance the dramatic tension and underscore the violence of the scene. As historians, our role is to examine such images within their historical milieus. By consulting period legal documents, religious texts, and social commentaries, we can better understand how these artworks reflect and shape the attitudes of their time. This etching challenges us to consider the social conditions that allow such violence to be not only practiced but also depicted and disseminated.