Scene from the Book of Esdras 16th-17th century

Editor: This is "Scene from the Book of Esdras" by Hans Collaert the Younger, it's difficult to say exactly when it was made. The print shows a chaotic battle scene with an angel hovering above, it's quite dramatic! How do you read the symbolism in this piece? Curator: It strikes me as a vision of divine intervention, where earthly conflict meets celestial power. The angel, bathed in light, is almost overwhelming, dwarfing the struggling figures below. Perhaps Collaert is illustrating the futility of human war in the face of a higher power? What do you think? Editor: That's interesting, I was focused on the immediate conflict. Seeing it as futility gives a whole new perspective. Curator: Art has that power, doesn't it? To shift our gaze, to make us see the world, and ourselves, anew.