Executie van Anne de Bourg, 1559 1565 - 1573

Frans Hogenberg’s hand-colored etching depicts the execution of Anne de Bourg in 1559. The image is a stark reminder of religious conflict during the Reformation. De Bourg, a member of the French Parliament, was a vocal supporter of Protestant ideas and openly criticized the persecution of Protestants in France. As a result, he was arrested, condemned as a heretic, and publicly burned at the stake in Paris. The scene shows a crowd gathered around a gallows, with de Bourg suspended above a fire. The faces in the windows of the building behind the gallows underline the public spectacle of state-sanctioned violence. Hogenberg's print captures a pivotal moment in the religious and political landscape of 16th-century France. The print circulated as a form of propaganda during a period of intense religious conflict and the narrative promoted by this type of imagery played a significant role in shaping public opinion. Historical research into pamphlets, sermons, and other visual materials from the period could further contextualize this image and its role in the religious conflicts of the time.