Johannes ontvangt het heilig geschrift van een engel 1563 - 1574

Gerard van Groeningen created this engraving, *John Receives the Holy Scripture from an Angel*, sometime in the late 16th century. This image, now in the collection of the Rijksmuseum, depicts a scene from the Book of Revelation, the last book of the Christian Bible. Engravings like this one served a vital social function in disseminating religious ideas during the Reformation. The Netherlands, where Van Groeningen worked, was at the heart of religious and political upheaval at the time. The Protestant Reformation challenged the authority of the Catholic Church. Visual propaganda, including prints, played a key role in shaping public opinion and galvanizing support for different religious factions. Studying Van Groeningen's prints, alongside pamphlets, sermons, and other historical documents, allows us to understand the complex interplay between art, religion, and politics in the early modern period.