Maria met het Christuskind, de H. Catharina van Alexandrië en de H. Johannes de Doper 1660

This engraving of the Virgin and Child with Saint Catherine of Alexandria and Saint John the Baptist was made by Johannes Popels in the 17th century. The Dutch Golden Age was a period of unprecedented economic, scientific, and cultural achievement. The religious connotations of these figures speak to the cultural context that shaped the artist. The iconography present in this image emphasizes the sanctity of motherhood, yet the male figures depicted alongside Mary are of clear importance. Catherine stands as a symbol of knowledge and wisdom while John is marked as a figure of purity and righteousness. In this, the image does not stray far from traditional representations. The work embodies aspects of the divine in the figures and their connection to the human world. The details of the faces are particularly compelling. This image presents a dynamic interplay of religious and humanist ideals, inviting us to consider the nuanced ways in which faith and identity intertwine within the historical narrative of the Dutch Golden Age.