Kind smelt onder de hete adem van engel 1628

Christoffel van Sichem II created this woodcut, “Kind smelt onder de hete adem van engel,” during the Dutch Golden Age, a period marked by both immense artistic achievement and the harsh realities of religious conflict. The print depicts an angel exhaling on a child, causing the child to melt. The angel, with a halo and wings, embodies divine authority, while the melting child evokes vulnerability and suffering. This imagery reflects the pervasive anxieties of the 17th century, a time of religious reformation, wars, and the ever-present threat of disease. The act of melting can be seen as a metaphor for the way societal pressures and religious fervor could dissolve individual identity and innocence. Sichem, working within a society deeply shaped by Calvinist beliefs, may be commenting on the intense scrutiny and judgement of the time, where even the most vulnerable were not spared from divine wrath. The emotional resonance of this image lies in its stark portrayal of power and helplessness, a theme that continues to echo through contemporary discussions of social justice and human rights.