Execution of Arminians in The Hague 1623

Claes Jansz. Visscher's 1623 etching, "Execution of Arminians in The Hague," depicts the brutal execution of Arminian followers, a Protestant sect whose theological views challenged the dominant Calvinist doctrine in the Netherlands. The print, part of a larger series documenting the event, portrays the public spectacle of the executions, with a crowd gathered around the scaffold, detailed depictions of the tortures inflicted, and portraits of the victims. The work provides a chilling glimpse into the religious and political tensions of the time, and the graphic imagery serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of dissenting from established religious dogma.