Door het geloof wordt de mens herboren 1550

Dirck Volckertsz Coornhert created this engraving, "Door het geloof wordt de mens herboren," which translates to "Through faith, man is reborn," sometime between 1550 and 1590. The Protestant Reformation in the 16th century encouraged new interpretations of Christian faith, emphasizing a personal relationship with God and questioning the authority of the Catholic Church. Here, Coornhert visualizes the reborn individual as a strong, nude child rising through the clouds with a book, likely the Bible, in hand. Note the child’s raised hand, which is a gesture of authority and blessing. The figure's nudity signals innocence and purity, but it also highlights the body as a site of spiritual transformation. In an era of religious conflict, Coornhert offers an intimate look at the transformative potential of personal faith. The engraving suggests a deeply felt, emotional experience of renewal through individual belief.