The image of Luther in the engravings in the bookThe Great Controversy

Abstract

This article discusses the presence of Luther’s figure in the protestant religious book The great controversy between Christ and Satan, by Ellen G. White, based on the production of pictures in Europe and the USA, in the 19th century. The study aims to identify the origin of these pictures and their authors, realize the meaning of these pictures used as representation and source of historical knowledge, and observe the contents and discourses present in them. For this purpose, the text presents an analysis of four images printed in 1887 and 1888. The book describes the world events beginning in Christ’s days, covering historical periods and culminating in the apocalyptic prophecies according to an eschatological view. Because it is an extensive reading, we realize that the pictures present a lot of information that is not described in the text. Despite this, they can alsocarry strong elements of subjectivity and combine real and symbolic aspects. Such characteristics of the image demand a correct criticism of the iconographic source.