Heilige Fredericus 1644

Mattheus Borrekens created this engraving of Heilige Fredericus, or Saint Frederick, in the 17th century. Considered through a contemporary lens, this image offers a window into the complex negotiations of power, faith, and identity during the Counter-Reformation. Saint Frederick, depicted with symbols of holiness, embodies the Catholic Church’s assertion of authority amid the rise of Protestantism. The cherubic figures and the angel playing the harp contrast with the grotesque demon— a stark visual dichotomy meant to inspire devotion and fear. Borrekens uses traditional religious iconography to reinforce the church's teachings, while also subtly addressing the anxieties of a society undergoing immense religious and political upheaval. What emotions does this piece evoke in you? Do you think it succeeds in its aims?