Profetie van Jeremia 1652 - 1702

This print of "Prophecy of Jeremiah" was made at an unknown time in the Netherlands, by an anonymous artist. The image presents the biblical prophet Jeremiah in a Dutch forest landscape, accompanied by a lion. The lion is a direct illustration of a biblical verse, quoted in Latin below the image, which states ‘My heritage has become to me as a lion in the forest, it has lifted up its voice against me; therefore I have hated it.’ The lion's presence and the verse’s sentiment reflect the social and religious upheavals of the time, particularly the tensions between established religious institutions and dissenting voices during the Reformation. This print probably circulated as part of a polemical pamphlet, which shows how artists and publishers at the time harnessed imagery to engage in theological debates and critique the established order. To truly understand the print's significance, researchers might delve into pamphlets from the period, exploring how religious reformers deployed imagery to challenge conventional beliefs. By examining this and the institutional context in which it was created, we can understand art’s potent role in shaping and challenging social norms.