Ark des Verbonds in de tempel van Dagon 1645 - 1740

Christoffel van Sichem II created this woodcut, *Ark des Verbonds in de tempel van Dagon*, at an unknown date. During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Dutch Republic was experiencing its Golden Age, marked by economic prosperity and cultural flourishing but also religious and political conflict. This image depicts a scene from the Bible where the Ark of the Covenant, captured by the Philistines, is placed in the temple of their god Dagon. The morning after, Dagon is found fallen on his face before the Ark, and later his head and hands are cut off. As a visual representation of religious conflict, this woodcut reflects the tensions of its time. The fallen idol can be viewed as a commentary on the perceived superiority of one faith over another. Sichem's work invites us to consider the power dynamics inherent in religious and cultural encounters, and the ways in which these dynamics play out in both personal and political spheres.