Christ appointing Saint Roch as patron saint of plague victims 

Peter Paul Reubens made this painting of Saint Roch as the patron saint of plague victims sometime in the early 17th century. It encapsulates the religious fervor of the time, but also reflects the very real social anxieties around disease that were prevalent in Europe. Saint Roch is shown receiving his divine appointment amid suffering caused by an outbreak of plague. We can see the sick and dying appealing for divine intervention. This image creates meaning through familiar visual codes that would be very familiar in Counter-Reformation Europe. Rubens was Flemish, and the social structures of the Low Countries in this period were dominated by the Catholic Church. The politics of imagery were tied up with a conservative desire to reinforce traditional religious values. To understand this painting fully, historians look at both the Counter-Reformation and the history of disease. By understanding the social and institutional contexts, we can better appreciate the enduring power of art.