Alliantie van paus Pius V, Filips II en Doge Mocenigo tegen de Turken, 1571 1571

This anonymous 1571 print commemorates the alliance of Pope Pius V, Philip II, and Doge Mocenigo against the Ottoman Turks. The image is a dense layering of political, religious, and cultural anxieties. It reflects a Europe grappling with the rise of the Ottoman Empire, here coded as a monstrous dragon at the bottom being attacked by the alliance. Encircling the central figures are representations of soldiers, their bodies poised between classical ideals and the grim realities of 16th-century warfare, embodying a mix of power and vulnerability. The Pope, elevated and central, is flanked by allegorical female figures, suggesting a divine blessing over the union. The alliance underscores the intertwined nature of religious, political, and economic interests during this period. This print isn't just a historical record, it's a reminder of how fear and power are visualized, circulated, and used to shape collective identity.