Heilige bij een hek in een berglandschap 17th century

Monogrammist HCVS created this woodcut, entitled Heilige bij een hek in een berglandschap, of Saint at a fence in a mountain landscape, at an unknown date. The figure, presumably a saint, stands in an ornately patterned robe with a palm frond in one hand and a ladder-like gate in the other, set against a mountainous backdrop. The image operates within the visual language of its time, where symbols and figures were immediately recognizable. Yet, there is a personal element here too. How does the figure's ambiguous gaze and somewhat awkward stance disrupt the conventional representation of saints? How does the inclusion of a seemingly mundane object like a gate subtly shift our understanding of holiness and access? This piece invites us to reflect on who is deemed holy and who gets to decide.