St. Scholastica 1614 - 1686

Gilles Rousselet created this print of Saint Scholastica. The composition is structured by the stark contrast between light and shadow, focusing our attention on the saint's contemplative posture. The lines, etched with precision, define the textures of her habit and the surrounding objects, creating a palpable sense of depth within the two-dimensional plane. Notice how Rousselet uses the grid-like structure of the ceiling and floor to create a sense of order. This formal arrangement supports the subject's devotion. Yet, the ethereal light enveloping the cross and dove introduces a dynamic tension. The cross and dove seem to disrupt this sense of structured reality. The etching becomes a semiotic system, a series of signs pointing to spiritual contemplation. The material qualities—the stark lines and contrasting tones—are not merely aesthetic choices. They function as integral components of a visual language that invites us to consider the relationship between the earthly and the divine, and the structures that contain them.