Saint Catherine in Prayer 1905

This is Timothy Cole’s “Saint Catherine in Prayer”, made at some point between the late 19th and early 20th century. Imagine him, etching this image into a plate. It’s all blacks and whites, a dance of light and shadow. I wonder what Cole was thinking about as he worked, head bent close, hand moving with precision? Maybe he was thinking about the act of devotion itself. About how we reach for something beyond ourselves, through ritual, through quiet contemplation. Look at how he's captured the texture of the fabric, the smoothness of her face. It’s all in the gradations, the subtle shifts from dark to light. It reminds me of other artists who've explored the spiritual realm, like Hilma af Klint or Agnes Martin. Each of them finding their own way to express the ineffable. They are all in an ongoing conversation, exchanging ideas across time, inspiring one another’s creativity. Ultimately, art embraces ambiguity, allowing for multiple interpretations. What does Saint Catherine’s prayer mean to you?