The Epiphany of the New Antichrist (L'Epiphane du Nouveau Antichrist)

Art Historical Context

Created in 1689 by the Dutch artist Romeyn de Hooghe, *The Epiphany of the New Antichrist* is a striking example of late-seventeenth-century political printmaking. Working in etching combined with letterpress text, de Hooghe produced large, detailed broadsheets that reached wide audiences across Europe. The sheet’s dramatic size—over twenty-two inches tall—allowed for crowded, energetic compositions filled with figures, symbols, and explanatory captions. The title and imagery suggest a satirical allegory, typical of de Hooghe’s work during the turbulent years surrounding the Glorious Revolution. Elements such as infants, men, women, and flags hint at a scene blending religious polemic with contemporary political commentary, a common strategy in Protestant visual propaganda of the period. Such prints served both as news and persuasion, distilling complex events into memorable, shareable images. Today the work stands as an important record of how art and text together shaped public opinion in the early modern era.

About the Artist

Romeyn de Hooghe · 1645–1708

Romeyn de Hooghe (1645-1708) was a Dutch Baroque engraver, draughtsman, and political satirist who became the most prolific and versatile graphic artist of the Dutch Republic in the late seventeenth century. Born in Amsterdam, he rose to become one of early modern Europe's most important printmakers and a pioneering master of political satire. De Hooghe's significance extends far beyond his techn...