Elia slaat zijn mantel voor zijn gezicht 1617 - 1634

This engraving, "Elia slaat zijn mantel voor zijn gezicht," was created by Magdalena van de Passe. The monochromatic tones and detailed linework give form to a dramatic scene dominated by nature's overwhelming power. The composition is divided diagonally. The left shows a towering cliff face with minute human figures dwarfed by the landscape. The right side plunges into a tumultuous sea, symbolized by a ship tossed about by violent waves. A powerful storm looms overhead, with radiant light piercing through the clouds. Van de Passe uses the visual language of the sublime. She explores the feeling of awe mixed with terror that natural phenomena evoke. The image destabilizes any sense of human mastery, reminding us of our insignificance in the face of immense forces. The formal elements—texture, line, and light— converge to create a semiotic interplay between nature's grandeur and human vulnerability.