He cast King Philip II as Solomon and Prince William of Orange as David – and, in exile, praised Elizabeth I in verse. This book draws readers into the turbulent world of the painter-poet Lucas d’Heere, tracing his journey from the Low Countries to England and back. It shows how persecution, exile and war reshaped – and strained – the cultural networks of artists and humanists. Based on extensive archival research and close readings of texts, images and ceremonies, it reveals how religious identities hardened and political loyalties shifted, offering a gripping account of conversion, confessionalisation and radicalisation at the heart of the Dutch Revolt.