Reproductie van vier prenten van engelen door Crispijn van de Passe before 1880

This reproduction of four prints of angels was made in the sixteenth century by Crispijn van de Passe. The engravings make use of established visual codes to convey religious meanings. Winged figures are instantly legible as angels, while the objects they carry – crosses, chalices, and wreaths – signal different aspects of Christian belief. Produced in Antwerp, in modern-day Belgium, the engravings reflect the religious and political climate of the time. Antwerp was a major center of the Counter-Reformation, and these images would have served to reinforce Catholic doctrine in the face of Protestant challenges. Crispijn van de Passe produced prints for Plantin, the most important printing house in Antwerp. His engravings helped disseminate religious ideas and affirm institutional power structures through visual media. To fully understand these images, scholars consult a range of historical sources, from theological treatises to economic records to understand the circulation of images in Early Modern Europe.