Zelfkastijding van de heilige Dominicus 1611

Theodoor Galle made this engraving of Saint Dominic's self-flagellation in the Netherlands, sometime between 1571 and 1633. It shows a penitent Dominic, kneeling before a crucifix, scourging himself with a chain, while other monks look on. This image gives us insight into the social role of the Catholic Church in the Dutch Golden Age. Galle was a member of the Plantin-Moretus printing dynasty in Antwerp. They were the leading publishers of Counter-Reformation propaganda during the Eighty Years' War. Galle and his colleagues produced devotional images that promoted the idea of personal piety as a way to revitalize the Church. Self-mortification was seen as a way to achieve spiritual purification. Studying this image in the context of the history of Dutch Catholicism helps us to understand its social function. You might consult historical texts and records to learn more about the strategies of the Counter-Reformation in the Netherlands.