Slag bij Lepanto, 1571, en moordpartij tijdens de Bartholomeüsnacht te Parijs, 1572 1722 - 1784

This print in the Rijksmuseum was made by Simon Fokke, an engraver working in Amsterdam in the eighteenth century. It depicts two key events from over a century before. The image creates meaning through visual codes, cultural references, and historical associations. In the top half we see the Battle of Lepanto of 1571, a major naval clash between the Ottoman Empire and the Holy League. Below it is a scene from the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre in Paris in 1572, in which thousands of French Protestants were killed. This diptych tells us something about the religious and political fault lines of the Dutch Republic in Fokke's time. It's a reminder that the institutions of art can be used to commemorate and interpret major historical events. But to fully understand it, we need to delve into historical sources, understanding the role these events played in shaping Dutch identity. The meaning of art is always contingent on its social and institutional context.