Triomf van het Geloof 1869

Leo Stracké made this print, "Triumph of the Faith," in 1889. It presents a symbolic allegory typical of its time, with the figure of Faith standing triumphant. Note how the image creates meaning through visual codes and cultural references. Faith, bathed in divine light, crushes figures representing heresy and disbelief underfoot. Angels descend with a wreath of victory, a motif drawn from classical antiquity and repurposed to celebrate religious conviction. This print was made in the Netherlands, where religious identity was deeply entwined with social and political life. The imagery of triumph speaks to the Catholic Church’s resurgence amid rising secularism. To understand this print better, we could explore Dutch religious history, looking at pamphlets, sermons, and institutional records. This helps us to understand the artwork as a product of social and institutional forces and allows us to reflect on the meaning of art as something contingent on social context.