Hagenpreken buiten Antwerpen, 1566 c. 1568 - 1572

Frans Hogenberg created this etching, Hagenpreken buiten Antwerpen, in 1566. It's an image that pulls us into the religious and political tensions of the 16th century. Hogenberg depicts a "Hagenpreek," or open-air sermon, a defiant act of Protestant worship during a time when the Catholic Church held sway. These sermons became rallying points for those challenging religious orthodoxy and the established social order. The landscape is filled with people, some armed, converging to hear the sermon. What emotions do you think they experienced? Security? Hope? Fear? The print does more than document an event; it reflects the yearning for religious freedom and the courage to express dissent in a society that was intolerant of deviation. This image acts as a reminder that the struggle for religious and personal freedoms is woven into the fabric of our societies. It's an invitation to consider the price of those freedoms and the importance of defending them.