Heilige Theresia c. 1641 - 1684

This is Gaspar Huybrechts' "Heilige Theresia," a 280 by 197 mm print of unknown date. The composition is immediately striking, dominated by a somber yet luminous texture achieved through the intricate use of engraving lines. Theresa's figure, draped in heavy, shadowed robes, creates a stark contrast with the ethereal cherub and its radiant cup. The artist employs a strategic arrangement of light and dark to guide the viewer's eye. The verticality of the architectural backdrop and the columns emphasizes a sense of divine order. Theresa’s gaze and the cherub’s descent converge on the heart, which serves as a focal point charged with symbolic weight. The print functions as a semiotic structure where the sacred heart represents divine love, and the cherub embodies spiritual mediation. The artwork challenges fixed meanings by presenting a dynamic interplay between the earthly and the divine. Huybrechts invites us to interpret Theresa's spiritual experience through a lens that combines devotion with profound visual and philosophical depth.