Christuskind met wereldbol en slang after 1721

Guillaume Pierre Mensaert created this print, Christuskind met wereldbol en slang, sometime between 1711 and 1777. It depicts the infant Christ with the world and a serpent. Mensaert was a Flemish painter, engraver, and etcher active during a time when the Catholic Church was a major cultural and political force. The image is rife with symbolism, speaking to the power of religion, and the visual and conceptual framework of a world dominated by the Catholic church. The Christ child stands on a serpent, an allusion to the triumph of Christianity over evil. The globe symbolizes Christ's dominion over the world, while he leans on a cross, a symbol of his coming sacrifice. During the Baroque era, the Catholic Church used art to convey religious doctrine and inspire devotion. In this context, an image such as this functions to reinforce the power and promise of the church. Yet, at the heart of this image is also a tenderness, a vulnerability, and a promise of a future filled with love and redemption.