Spotprent op Jacobus Taurinus, 1615 1615

This anonymous print, made in 1615, presents a complex allegory featuring an array of potent symbols. On the left, a menagerie of beasts emerges from a hellish landscape, while on the right, a knight bearing a cross charges forth, backed by divine light. The clash between darkness and light is a recurring motif throughout art history. Consider the harrowing scenes of the Last Judgement, where the virtuous are separated from the damned, or the iconography of the psychomachia in Prudentius's poem, in which virtues and vices battle for the soul. Here, the knight’s cross is a beacon of hope, piercing the darkness of ignorance and despair, as it was used in the Crusades to distinguish those fighting for religious righteousness. This symbol, deeply embedded in the collective psyche, elicits a powerful emotional response, engaging viewers on a primal, subconscious level. Ultimately, the print reminds us that these symbols are not static; they evolve, resurface, and take on new meanings as they traverse through time.