Fulgentius van Ruspe als kluizenaar 1594

Curator: This engraving from 1594, found here at the Rijksmuseum, is titled “Fulgentius van Ruspe as a Hermit" and was created by Johann Sadeler I. What jumps out at you initially? Editor: Stark contrast is what hits me first – this craggy, old figure juxtaposed against a bustling seaside scene. It feels like a meditation on isolation and faith. But the scene isn’t bleak, is it? It has a peculiar calmness, as if everything outside of that grotto doesn’t even matter. Curator: Absolutely, the composition reinforces that duality. Note how Sadeler uses light and shadow to carve out two distinct worlds within the same frame. Formally, the landscape’s horizontality emphasizes breadth while the vertical lines of the cave create a sense of depth and containment. We see Mannerist style emerging here, creating visual tension. Editor: Mmh, he looks so fragile, lost in thought. And the text at the bottom! What does it say? Curator: It is a description of Fulgentius’s qualities of teaching through enduring adversity, while another translates to him renouncing his bisected tiara when blindness poured from his eyes. He was a bishop who lived as a hermit; this recalls the popular trope of spiritual devotion through austerity, a very appealing figure in Counter-Reformation art, wouldn’t you agree? Editor: So true. The cave feels womb-like. Is that another figure inside, by the altar? Another priest maybe? What I really like is that tiny bell hanging from the tree, suggesting both solitude and call to worship. There's this palpable hum of spiritual existence, quiet yet constant. The detail here, for an engraving, is stunning, isn’t it? Curator: Indeed. Sadeler’s skill really shines through the varied textures, from the rough rocks to Fulgentius's robe. It feels less like a snapshot and more like a tableau, inviting the viewer to really contemplate the different levels of his reality. Editor: I keep getting drawn back to the tension between the foreground and the background. The serene, self-contained world of the hermit compared to the active human landscape beyond. I feel challenged, even interrogated. Curator: In essence, this artwork juxtaposes earthly and spiritual concerns, with each enriching the other in complexity, if we dare to face them with thoughtful self-awareness. Thanks for joining me in seeing how Sadeler inspires deeper reflection on our very existence.