Protestantism and Catholicism are trying to save their souls. Protestantism is on the left bank and Catholicism is on the right bank. It can be clearly seen that there are more people on the left bank, which shows that Protestantism is more successful in saving souls; Near the left bank, the sun is brighter and the right bank is overcast; There is another contrast. The trees on the left bank are flourishing, while the trees on the right bank have withered. This corresponds to the first psalm: (the righteous) He will be like a tree planted by a stream, and when the time comes, it will bear fruit and its leaves will not wither, and everything he does will be smooth. (poem 1:3)
When writing this article, it suddenly occurred to me that left deviation refers to the tendency to pursue progress politically and sympathize with the working people. The painter put Protestantism on the left bank, which may also mean this. After all, at that time, the oppression and exploitation of ordinary people by Catholicism was a politically conservative and backward force.
One more thing, the priests dressed in black on the left and right banks are the same, which probably means that Protestantism is also separated from Catholicism, but the people dressed in red on the right bank are not on the left bank. These should be cardinals of the Vatican. There are many well-dressed people on the right bank, who should be nobles in society. In contrast, the clothes on the left bank are more common, which also shows that Protestantism is accepted by more ordinary classes. (This paragraph is purely personal understanding)