Portret van Johannes Cocceius 1670 - 1726

This is an engraving of Johannes Cocceius, a Dutch theologian who lived from 1603 to 1669, and it was made sometime around then. The portrait is framed in an oval and set against a simple background, giving it a classical feel. Cocceius was a professor at the University of Leiden, a major center of intellectual life in the Dutch Golden Age. During this period, the Netherlands was a hub of trade, art, and science, and it enjoyed relative religious tolerance. But even in such a liberal environment, theological debates could be fierce. Cocceius advocated a covenant theology, emphasizing God's agreements with humanity, and this brought him into conflict with more orthodox Calvinists. Engraved portraits like this one were important ways of disseminating images of prominent figures, helping to shape public perceptions and solidifying their legacies. To fully understand this image, we'd want to look into the religious and intellectual history of the Dutch Republic. Historical sources such as university archives and pamphlets from the period would help us understand the context.