Saint Anthony Abbot 16th-17th century

Editor: So, this is Hieronymus Wierix's "Saint Anthony Abbot," a detailed engraving. The saint seems so immersed in his book, beads dangling, and yet… he’s not alone in the wilderness. What strikes you most about this image? Curator: The tension, definitely. Wierix captures that internal struggle, doesn't he? The saint, the book, the rosary…but then, the almost hidden fox. It feels like a whispered temptation lurking. A reminder that even in solitude, the world persists. What do you make of the landscape? Editor: I hadn't thought about the landscape contributing to that feeling! I guess it seems bleak, almost like a psychological space, as much as a real location. Curator: Exactly! It's a landscape of the mind, isn't it? Wierix isn’t just depicting a saint; he's showing us the battle for faith, made visible.