Graftombe van Leonard Marius van der Goes 1652

This engraving of the tomb of Leonard Marius van der Goes was made by Cornelis Visscher in the Netherlands. The tomb, adorned with cherubs and skulls, bears the likeness of the deceased, watched over by Christ on the cross. The imagery encapsulates the Catholic Counter-Reformation in the Dutch Republic. Following the Reformation, the Catholic Church sought to reassert its authority through art. Prints like these were circulated widely. They were designed to move the faithful and defend Catholic doctrine against Protestant challenges. The symbols, like skulls and cherubs, reflect a preoccupation with mortality and redemption. Understanding this work demands that we look to religious and political history. Contemporary pamphlets, theological treatises, and records of local religious conflicts can give us a good understanding of its social context. It reminds us that art is not created in a vacuum. It reflects and shapes the beliefs and struggles of its time.