Saint Agnes, holding a palm leaf and a tethered lamb 1626 - 1636

This is Willem Panneels’s small etching of Saint Agnes, made in Antwerp in the 1620s after a painting by Peter Paul Rubens. Agnes was a virgin martyr of the fourth century who, as the patron saint of young girls, was often depicted with a lamb, the symbol of innocence and sacrifice. Panneels worked in Rubens's workshop, a commercial hub that relied on printmaking to disseminate painted compositions to a wider audience. Here Agnes’s upward gaze is intersected by divine light. The palm symbolizes her martyrdom, while the lamb alludes to her purity. This rendering of Agnes reflects Counter-Reformation ideals, particularly the emphasis on female virginity and devotion. The print would have served as a devotional aid, reminding viewers of Christian virtues and sacrifice. In studying prints like this, one can look into workshop practices, religious history, and the socio-political functions of images, and consider how the institutions of religion and art intersect in early modern Europe.