Iconoclasm in a Church — Dirck van Delen

Dirck van Delen. Painted 1630.

A man on a ladder has placed a noose around the neck of a statue of a saint, while below three men stand ready to topple it from its socle. At the right a statue has been brutally hacked in half. In August 1566 fanatic Protestants destroyed altarpieces, statues and sacred vessels used for the Catholic Mass in countless churches throughout the Netherlands. It was a black day in Dutch history, and one rarely depicted in art.

From the collection of the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Currently on display in The birth of the Republic / Mannerism and caravaggism, Main building, 17th Century.

oil paint (paint), oak (wood) · Original size: 67 × 50 cm · Purchased with the support of the BankGiro Lottery and the Rijksmuseum Fonds

Print: 67 × 50 cm, printed on Hahnemühle FineArt archival cotton paper. Museum-grade reproduction quality, true to the colours and detail of the original work.

Frame (optional): a custom-made wooden frame in a matte black finish, cut to the exact dimensions of this print, with an off-white passe-partout mat and protective glazing. Ready to hang.

Source: https://id.rijksmuseum.nl/200476947. Image released under CC0 by the Rijksmuseum.