Portret van Augustinus van Hippo 1830

This is Bernard Romain Julien’s portrait of Saint Augustine of Hippo, an engraving now held at the Rijksmuseum. Made in the 19th century, it depicts a man who lived in the 4th and 5th centuries. Augustine was a philosopher and theologian whose writings profoundly influenced the development of Western philosophy and Christianity. The engraving situates Augustine within the visual language of sainthood, complete with a halo. Julien's work presents us with a figure who embodies the intersection of faith and intellect. Augustine’s own journey was one of deep introspection, wrestling with questions of existence, morality, and the nature of good and evil. In his ‘Confessions’ he writes, "Late have I loved you, beauty so old and so new, late have I loved you!” Here, Augustine is portrayed not just as a religious icon, but as a man whose intellectual and spiritual quests mirror the human search for meaning. Julien captures the deeply personal and emotional dimensions of faith and self-discovery that Augustine represents.