Catholics vs Protestants
This week’s Saturday Flashback features a painting seen in Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum. Adriaen Pietersz van de Venne (never heard of him!) painted "Fishing for souls" in 1614. Protestants (left) and Catholics (right) are fishing for souls in the river. That the conflict was also political is indicated by the presence of leading political figures on both sides. Sadly, it is not just a flashback, but also relevant to the present day and even more sadly, no doubt relevant to the future as well. Only the venue for the latest round in the long-running religious contest changes. When the painting was made the venue was Holland. Much more recently, it was Northern Ireland. Who knows where the next major flare-up will take place??
Catholics vs Protestants
This week’s Saturday Flashback features a painting seen in Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum. Adriaen Pietersz van de Venne (never heard of him!) painted "Fishing for souls" in 1614. Protestants (left) and Catholics (right) are fishing for souls in the river. That the conflict was also political is indicated by the presence of leading political figures on both sides. Sadly, it is not just a flashback, but also relevant to the present day and even more sadly, no doubt relevant to the future as well. Only the venue for the latest round in the long-running religious contest changes. When the painting was made the venue was Holland. Much more recently, it was Northern Ireland. Who knows where the next major flare-up will take place??