Rocky Landscape with St. Jerome 1568 - 1629

Editor: Here we have Aegidius Sadeler II's "Rocky Landscape with St. Jerome," an engraving and etching dating somewhere between 1568 and 1629. It's incredibly detailed, but there's something about the stark contrast between the light and shadow that makes the scene feel quite dramatic. What draws your attention to this work? Curator: Well, viewing this piece through a historical lens, it speaks volumes about the relationship between art, patronage, and religious sentiment of the period. Landscape prints were increasingly popular, providing idealized visions of nature. It also acted as propaganda for the established social order with religion at its heart. The very inscription implies an exchange of admiration between artist and patron, Ferdinand Lombardo, highlighting art’s function in establishing social status. Don't you agree? Editor: Yes, definitely. I see how the dedication connects to social power dynamics of that time, something I wouldn’t have thought about. But the subject being St. Jerome… I always assumed that would be purely devotional? Curator: While the figure of St. Jerome offers a religious theme, remember that religious iconography had a very public and political dimension then. The landscape itself is hardly a realistic depiction of the Holy Land; it is an imagined space which conveys specific ideas to its audience. What could this highly constructed landscape tell us about the artist's social and cultural context, and what ideas are being portrayed in it? Editor: So, even religious subjects could be shaped by social and political considerations. I’ll have to keep that in mind from now on. I thought I would focus solely on visual and symbolic aspects! Curator: Precisely! Examining art in a vacuum does disservice to these beautiful artefacts and to their importance to history. I think paying closer attention to that relationship is incredibly fruitful and fascinating, even more than its mere aesthetic qualities. Editor: That makes me want to explore the different types of engravings and consider them and the artists in their socio-historical moments! Thank you.