Pelgrim wordt weggeleid van verleiding en het kwaad 1840

Joseph von Führich created this print called 'Pilgrim Led Away from Temptation and Evil' using etching techniques. Führich was part of the Nazarene movement, a group of artists who aimed to revive religious art with a sense of moral purity. This work reflects the 19th-century romantic ideal of the spiritual journey. The etching depicts a pilgrim, guided by an allegorical figure, escaping a scene of earthly temptations, represented by seductive figures, a skull, and an owl, symbols of death and the night. The tension between the lure of temptation and the path of righteousness is palpable. The choice to depict the guiding figure as androgynous challenges conventional gender roles, suggesting that spiritual guidance transcends gender. Führich’s personal beliefs were deeply rooted in his Catholic faith, informing his vision to create art that would inspire devotion and moral reflection. This piece invites us to reflect on our personal struggles between temptation and virtue.