Moord op de protestanten te Cahors, 1561 c. 1567 - 1571

Curator: Look at this intensely detailed engraving, "Moord op de protestanten te Cahors, 1561" or "Massacre of Protestants in Cahors, 1561," created between 1567 and 1571 by Frans Hogenberg. It resides here at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: My immediate feeling? It’s a brutal freeze-frame. The chaos jumps out at you—you can almost hear the screams etched into the metal. What really hits is the sheer number of bodies... it’s overwhelming. Curator: It captures a stark moment in history. Hogenberg documents the religious violence, rendered here as history painting, specifically, a massacre of Protestants. It’s quite Baroque in its busyness. Look at the use of line—the engraving teems with conflict on multiple levels. Editor: And an almost obsessive detailing of every tiny figure, every fleeing gesture. It all stems from the making. I’m fascinated by the process—imagine the labor involved in producing such an intricate image via printmaking and engraving. Consider too, the social context of making and distributing these prints during a period of intense religious strife; what was consumed and why. It isn't just a work of art, it's also propaganda, maybe a newspaper. Curator: It’s a visual record, a way to circulate news – however biased. The very act of printing and distribution became a political act. I feel how he captures the feeling of desperate survival against terrible odds. Editor: Exactly! These materials—the copperplate, the ink, the paper—all became active participants in a historical narrative, tangible tools in the distribution of political ideas. Think how different things may have unfolded if access to printed information had been controlled or denied. It serves as a reminder to think about who does the making. Curator: Yes, and what drives that making. It's a complex blend of artistic skill, historical event, and ideological positioning. Seeing it here really underscores the ripple effect of one moment echoing through centuries. Editor: Definitely. Considering it's "only" an engraving, it punches way above its weight class.