Gelijkenis van het onkruid tussen het koren c. 1589 - 1600

Bartholomeus Willemsz. Dolendo created this print, "Gelijkenis van het onkruid tussen het koren", sometime before 1626. The work illustrates a biblical parable about a farmer whose field is infiltrated with weeds sown by an enemy, a narrative ripe with anxieties about purity and corruption. In this allegorical scene, we see figures embodying labor, sabotage, and vulnerability. The sower, weighed down with the task of planting, is contrasted against a demonic figure gleefully scattering weeds. These weeds don't just represent agricultural pests, but signify heretical ideas threatening to choke the ‘true’ faith. Meanwhile, figures lie asleep, vulnerable to the encroaching weeds. This scene speaks to the tumultuous religious climate of the Dutch Golden Age. As the Netherlands was experiencing its reformation, Dolendo captures the pervasive fears of ideological contamination and the relentless struggle to maintain a 'pure' spiritual harvest. The emotional weight lies in the recognition of the constant vigilance required to protect one's beliefs against insidious influences.