Heiligen Paulus, Johannes, Cecilia, Petrus en Maria Magdalena 1581 - 1656

Nicolaes de Bruyn made this engraving, Heiligen Paulus, Johannes, Cecilia, Petrus en Maria Magdalena, in the Netherlands during the height of the Counter-Reformation. Looking at this piece through a contemporary lens, it's hard not to notice how it navigates the complex terrain of gendered and religious identities. Cecilia, the patron saint of music, stands centrally with her instrument, a symbol of harmony but also of her martyrdom. To her right, Mary Magdalene gazes upward, holding a chalice. Her positioning and gaze imply repentance but also the patriarchal framing of female spirituality as inherently tied to guilt and redemption. The male saints flanking them, Paul and Peter, stand as pillars of the early Church, their presence reinforcing the power structures of the time. The engraving embodies the era's attempt to reconcile classical ideals with Christian doctrine, using art to reinforce religious teachings and moral values. The piece subtly—and perhaps unconsciously—mirrors the societal tensions of its time, and reveals the artist’s participation in it.