Portret van Augustinus de Ancona 1636

This engraving by Cornelis Galle I portrays Augustinus Triumphus de Ancona, identifiable by his halo and Augustinian habit. He holds a book and quill, symbols of his scholarly pursuits. The halo, a universal signifier of sanctity, has roots stretching back to pre-Christian sun worship, where it symbolized divine aura. We see this motif echoing through cultures, from the nimbus in Buddhist art to the aureola surrounding Christ in Byzantine mosaics. Yet, its manifestation here, in the context of a Catholic saint, speaks to the enduring power of visual symbols to transcend epochs. The act of writing, too, is potent, linking Augustinus to the transmission of knowledge, much like the Egyptian scribe gods or the medieval monks diligently copying manuscripts. These symbols, imbued with layers of history, evoke a sense of timeless continuity. The very act of portraying Augustinus in this way engages our collective memory, reminding us of the enduring human quest for knowledge.