Saint Roch standing holding a staff in his left hand, a dog by his side 1531 - 1576

Editor: Here we have "Saint Roch standing holding a staff in his left hand, a dog by his side," an etching by Giulio Bonasone, created sometime between 1531 and 1576. The detail achieved through etching is impressive, and there's something very noble about the figure's stance. What strikes you most about this print? Curator: Notice how Saint Roch is rendered - the staff he holds, the dog at his side, and even the revealing of a plague sore on his leg. These aren't arbitrary details. They are visual keys unlocking a rich narrative about protection and healing. Consider the staff, a symbol of pilgrimage but also authority and support. And the dog? Faithfulness, of course, but also divine succor. These symbols resonated deeply with a society ravaged by disease, offering hope and a visual language for understanding suffering. Editor: So, these aren't just decorative additions, they actively communicate ideas? Curator: Exactly. Each element adds a layer to the narrative. Saint Roch became a potent symbol of hope and recovery from illness during the Renaissance. He was an intercessor, someone to petition for deliverance. Visual images like this one aided in this veneration, strengthening cultural memory of his significance and reassuring the viewer of divine help. Editor: It's interesting to think of the image working as a sort of... mnemonic device for cultural beliefs. I’d only thought about imagery from a purely aesthetic perspective before. Curator: Precisely! Think about the psychology of images. Throughout time, artists and societies imprint meaning onto objects, figures, colours. Bonasone’s etching gives us a glimpse into Renaissance anxieties and aspirations. What did you take away from viewing Saint Roch's depiction? Editor: It gave me a new way to appreciate not just Renaissance art, but how embedded cultural memory can be visualized in works of art and iconography. Thanks!