Knielende H. Franciscus van Paola in gebed 1627

Claude Mellan's "Knielende H. Franciscus van Paola in gebed" (Kneeling St. Francis of Paola in Prayer), created in 1627, portrays the saint in a moment of devotion. This detailed engraving, now housed at the Rijksmuseum, features Saint Francis kneeling in prayer, his head bowed, and his hands clasped together. His intense focus on the unseen is heightened by the haloed skull resting on the table before him, a symbolic representation of mortality and the transience of life. Mellan's precise and skillful use of line work, creating a strong contrast of light and shadow, is characteristic of his work and adds to the profound and contemplative atmosphere of this piece.