Heilige Theonas van Oxyrynchum after 1636

Frederick Bloemaert made this print of Saint Theonas in the Dutch Republic sometime around the mid-17th century. It depicts Theonas offering water to a bear and a deer. In hagiography, Theonas is known for his simple life as a desert monk, as well as for performing miracles and taming wild animals. This image speaks to a key theme in the art of the period, which is the power of Christianity to bring order and harmony to the natural world. Theonas is portrayed as an intermediary between God and nature. Bloemaert was a member of the Utrecht School. This group of artists drew inspiration from Italian Baroque art and religious themes. The proliferation of imagery like this was supported by wealthy Catholic patrons in the region. At the time, the Dutch Republic was a Protestant territory. By studying the history of the Catholic church in the Netherlands, as well as the biographies of artists and patrons, we can better understand how and why images like this one circulated during this period.