Antonius van Padua predikt tot de vissen 1735

"Antonius van Padua predikt tot de vissen" (Saint Anthony of Padua Preaching to the Fishes), a 1735 etching by Jacques Philippe Le Bas, depicts the titular saint preaching to a group of fish. The scene, set on a rocky shore, showcases Le Bas’s talent for detailed rendering of both figures and landscape. Saint Anthony, standing in a simple robe, appears to be addressing the fish with an intense gaze. The composition is balanced by the presence of a small boat, a ruined archway, and a group of people on the shore. The etching is a powerful testament to the transformative power of faith, illustrated through the unlikely act of a saint preaching to fish.