Gepersonifieerde Rooms-katholieke Kerk met Petrus en Paulus. 1623

This engraving, made by Lucas Vorsterman I, presents the personified Roman Catholic Church alongside Saints Peter and Paul. The lamb above a book, held by cherubic figures, is an especially potent symbol. This Agnus Dei represents Christ's sacrifice, a motif that stretches back to early Christian art and the catacombs. The lamb, often depicted with a halo and a banner bearing a cross, echoes the sacrificial lambs of ancient pagan rituals. The shift from pagan sacrifice to Christian redemption reveals a profound transformation in symbolic meaning. The Church’s adversaries writhe in darkness beneath her, a powerful visual metaphor for the struggle against heresy and doubt. Such imagery taps into collective anxieties about spiritual purity and the fear of religious corruption. The lamb, however, reassures us of the Church’s guiding light. The visual power of such symbols is undeniable. The lamb, in its cyclical progression, speaks to our deepest fears and hopes. It resurfaces, evolving and taking on new meanings, yet it remains tethered to its origins in sacrifice and redemption.