H. Ignatius van Loyola geneest bezetenen 1630s

Editor: This is "H. Ignatius van Loyola geneest bezetenen," or "St. Ignatius of Loyola Healing the Possessed," an engraving done in the 1630s by Marinus Robyn van der Goes. It’s… chaotic! The energy just bursts out of the frame. So many figures, so much implied movement! What leaps out at you when you look at this print? Curator: You know, chaotic is spot on. And exquisitely rendered chaos at that! Van der Goes has captured the frenzy of a miracle in progress, wouldn’t you agree? Ignatius, so serene, stands amidst… well, what appears to be a right proper hullabaloo. It’s interesting to see this baroque sensibility, with all its drama, channeled through the medium of engraving. The sharp lines and detailed cross-hatching heighten the emotional intensity for me, actually! Editor: Absolutely! It's like controlled hysteria. I noticed that contrast between the calm Ignatius and the writhing figures. It’s a little disturbing to think about, actually! Were prints like this common at the time? Curator: Common enough, yes. Prints offered a way to disseminate stories, ideas... propaganda, really! Visual representations of saints performing miracles served to reinforce faith, particularly during the Counter-Reformation. Prints could be widely distributed and relatively affordable, weren’t they? Consider the power of replicating images to spread those particular ideologies at the time! What do you think about the placement of figures – where they are in relation to Ignatius? Does that have meaning for you? Editor: I hadn’t really thought about it that way, but now that you mention it… all the ‘possessed’ are practically crawling towards him! Is it meant to show how divine grace conquers evil or something along those lines? It makes me consider that it may symbolize spiritual progression, a reach toward some ideal… Curator: Indeed! You are on to something, and it gets better: the print provides the drama that speaks to many emotions we experience internally when moving from challenge to change – don't you agree it makes you feel like perhaps he could extend a hand and draw your demon away! Editor: That's a whole new way of looking at it! Curator: Always more layers! Now I’m keen to go search through the other treasures the Rijksmuseum might hold, thanks to that insightful consideration.