Heilige Swietbertus van Teisterbant before 1650

This engraving of Saint Suitbert of Teisterbant was made by Frederick Bloemaert around 1640. Bloemaert was part of a family of artists working in Utrecht during the Dutch Golden Age, a period marked by economic prosperity, artistic innovation, and also the brutal realities of the Eighty Years' War. Suitbert was an Anglo-Saxon missionary who brought Christianity to parts of what is now Germany in the 7th century. Bloemaert’s image, however, reframes Suitbert’s identity through a 17th-century Dutch lens. He is pictured in full Catholic regalia—a deliberate choice during a time when the Dutch Republic was predominantly Protestant. Bloemaert's portrayal is thus not just a depiction of a historical figure, but also a statement on the ongoing religious and political tensions of his time. It invites us to reflect on how historical narratives are constructed and used to address contemporary issues, and how identity, especially religious identity, is negotiated in times of conflict.