Christus geneest een bezeten man 1579 - 1585

This engraving by Wierix, titled "Christus geneest een bezeten man", likely created between 1550 and 1620, depicts Christ healing a possessed man. Consider the historical context of the 16th and early 17th centuries, a time of intense religious conflict and superstition. The image reflects a world grappling with ideas about the seen and unseen. The possessed man, writhing and contorted, embodies the fears and anxieties of a society deeply concerned with spiritual forces. Wierix was a master engraver whose work circulated widely. Prints like this weren't just art, they were a form of visual rhetoric. What I find fascinating here is the narrative around "possession," often linked to the marginalized: women, the poor, or those deemed "other." The image asks: who defines what is "normal," and who gets cast out as "deviant?" It’s a powerful reminder of how societal anxieties can be projected onto individuals, leading to their demonization.