Heilige Hyacinthus van Polen 1601 - 1716

This anonymous etching from the Rijksmuseum depicts Saint Hyacinth of Poland, a Catholic saint who was canonized in 1594. The artwork dates from 1601-1716 and portrays Saint Hyacinth in a moment of prayer, kneeling on the sea shore while holding a banner with an inscription in Latin. He is dressed in the habit of the Order of Friars Preachers, a mendicant order of the Catholic Church, and is surrounded by an ethereal landscape. The artwork provides insight into the popular devotional imagery of the 17th century. This etching, likely produced for private devotion or for sale in a church, uses detailed lines to depict Saint Hyacinth and the surrounding landscape.