Saint Cunera, from Saints of the North and South Netherlands 1650

Cornelis Visscher’s engraving of Saint Cunera was made in the Netherlands sometime in the mid-17th century. Saint Cunera was thought to be a virgin martyr, murdered in the 4th century by the wife of a king. It is interesting to note that Cunera was particularly venerated in regions of the Netherlands with a strong Catholic presence; Visscher himself converted to Catholicism in 1651. What might it have meant to create and circulate this image in this place, and at this time? We need to remember that the Dutch Republic had only recently won independence from the Catholic Spanish Empire. Public displays of Catholic imagery had been prohibited, and the institutions of the Catholic church were severely limited. Engravings like this were relatively inexpensive and could be circulated more easily than paintings. This image, therefore, represents an act of Catholic devotion, operating outside the institutions of the church. Historians use a wide range of resources to understand artworks like this. They look at contemporary religious thought, economic structures, and institutional histories. They remind us that the meaning of art is always shaped by its context.