Smeekbede van de heilige Rochus 1656 - 1726

Johannes Glauber created this print, "Supplication of Saint Roch," using etching techniques. The composition is immediately striking for its layering of earthly suffering and divine intervention. Notice the contrast between the dense, cross-hatched rendering of the earthly realm, filled with figures afflicted by illness, and the ethereal, lightly-etched depiction of the divine figures floating above. This contrast isn't just visual; it is a semiotic device. The heavy lines and crowded space below symbolize the weight of human suffering, while the light, airy lines above represent the hope of divine salvation. The formal structure of the image thus mirrors the narrative content. The diagonal lines, especially in the robes and gestures of the figures, create a sense of upward movement. This implies a visual metaphor for the soul's ascent or humanity's striving towards the divine. The print isn't just a depiction of a biblical scene, but an exploration of the interplay between the material and immaterial, the earthly and the divine, rendered through the formal qualities of line and composition.