Petrus veroorzaakt de val van Simon de Tovenaar 1516

Pieter Cornelisz Kunst made this engraving, titled *Petrus veroorzaakt de val van Simon de Tovenaar*, sometime between 1489 and 1560. Kunst lived during a period of religious reformation, a time rife with shifting beliefs and power struggles. The image depicts a pivotal moment, the clash between Saint Peter and Simon Magus, or 'Simon the Sorcerer', set against a backdrop of a crowd and fantastical elements. The figures in the crowd seem to represent a wide range of social standings. The image also appears to be about the challenge of religious authority, with Peter's divine intervention contrasting Simon’s sorcery. Kunst’s work reflects the anxieties of a society grappling with change. It is emotionally charged, capturing the fervor of religious conviction and the fear of the heretical. The artwork invites us to consider the ways in which these historical anxieties continue to resonate in our own time.