Gustav Eilers (1834-1911)
Time of the Reformation
1868
Engraving
7 1/4 x 8 3/4″ (18.415 x 22.225 cm)
Wetmore Print Collection, Connecticut College
FW-0836

Chaos and attempts of organization are scattered across Gustav Eilers depiction of the Reformation in which men from all classes of society are struggling to form order in the wake of religious strife. The man at center stage is Martin Luther, a leader in the Reformation, placed as a focal point raising the new beliefs and teachings that would emerge from this shift. This upheaval is also symbolized in the lower right hand corner with the fallen Roman statues, emphasizing the end of the old order while juxtaposing the rise of the new.