Allegorische voorstelling met Jupiter, Neptunus en Mars before 1689

This engraving showing Jupiter, Neptune, and Mars was made in the Netherlands, though we don't know exactly when or by whom. Such prints circulated widely in the early modern period, and this one is replete with classical and biblical references. Here, the Roman gods Jupiter, Neptune, and Mars are shown together, representing power over the skies, the seas, and war. Prints like this one, with text in Dutch, would have been produced for an expanding reading public. The text alludes to the fall of Babylon, and to the persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire. This tells us that the image isn't just about classical mythology, but also about contemporary religious and political ideas. It is likely that the print was originally made for a book or pamphlet that aimed to comment on the social structures of its time. Historians use sources like these prints to help understand the cultural values and beliefs of past societies. Further research would be needed in order to connect this image to the history of printing, or religious movements, in the Netherlands.