Heilige Rochus als pelgrim met pelgrimsstaf toont pestbult op been 1500 - 1575

This is an engraving of Saint Roch, the patron saint of plague victims. Observe how Roch is depicted as a pilgrim, complete with a staff and a bubo exposing the visible signs of his affliction. This bubo, a symbol of disease and suffering, is central to Roch's iconography. The pilgrim's staff is an ancient symbol, seen in depictions of travelers and wanderers throughout history. Yet it is also found in Asclepius’s rod in Ancient Greece, which is entwined with a serpent, an emblem of medicine. The iconography of Roch and the bubo is found throughout the history of art, serving as a grim reminder of our shared human vulnerability to disease and death. It is a motif that returns during times of crisis and pestilence. It reveals our collective, perhaps subconscious, need for protection and healing. This emotional charge is powerfully represented in Roch’s steady gaze, inviting the viewer into a dialogue with mortality. The image of the pilgrim saint and the bubo on his leg is a cyclical return of a symbol that resonates with our deepest fears.