Wonderbare visvangst op het meer van Galilea 1590 - 1622

This engraving by Boëtius Adamsz. Bolswert depicts the miraculous catch on the Sea of Galilee, rich with Christian symbolism. Dominating the scene is the image of Christ offering bread and fish, symbols of spiritual nourishment and divine grace, to his disciples. The offering of bread and fish isn't new. This motif echoes ancient sacrificial rites, where offerings were made to appease or commune with the divine, but here we see a shift to grace, contrasting with earlier more sacrificial undertones. Consider the raised hand—a gesture that transcends cultures. In ancient Roman art, it signified power and authority. Here, it evolves into a symbol of blessing and invitation. Through centuries, this gesture surfaces, each time imbued with new layers of meaning yet echoing its original power, demonstrating how cultural memory embeds itself in visual language.