Altaar bij de heiligverklaring van Jacobus de Marchia en Franciscus Solanus, 1726 1726

Pieter Balthasar Bouttats created this print in 1726, depicting the altar for the canonization of Jacobus de Marchia and Franciscus Solanus. Above the altar, the all-seeing eye of God radiates light, a symbol of divine providence and omnipresence, surrounded by a heavenly host of angels. This motif of the divine eye, enclosed in a triangle, is a powerful symbol of the Holy Trinity. We can trace its lineage across centuries, from ancient Egyptian art to Renaissance depictions of God. Yet, here, in this Baroque setting, it evokes a particularly potent sense of divine judgment and grace. Its repeated use reflects our culture's continuous attempts to visualize the intangible—the divine. Consider how this symbol engages us on a subconscious level. The eye, a universal symbol of perception and awareness, speaks to our deepest fears and hopes of being seen and understood by a higher power. Through this symbol, past and present, sacred and secular, converge, demonstrating how cultural memory shapes our understanding.