Spotprent op Maria van Modena en pater Peters, 1689 1688 - 1689

This print, made in 1689 by Pieter Schenk, satirizes Mary of Modena and Father Peters amidst the political turmoil of the time. It encapsulates the deep-seated anxieties surrounding the Stuart monarchy and its Catholic affiliations. The print critiques the close relationship between Mary of Modena, the Catholic Queen Consort of England, and Father Peters, a Jesuit priest and influential advisor. It plays on fears of Catholic influence in the English court, a concern heightened by the birth of a Catholic heir, depicted here as a sleeping infant. The composition suggests deceit and manipulation, reflecting widespread Protestant suspicions of Catholic conspiracies to subvert English laws and liberties. Schenk’s print uses the intimacy of the domestic scene to amplify political anxieties. It speaks to how gender, religion, and power were intertwined in the public imagination and how these anxieties could be weaponized through visual culture.