Saint Gertrude c. 17th century

Editor: Here we see Jacques Callot’s “Saint Gertrude,” a small etching. It feels like a moment of quiet desperation, with her kneeling on what looks like a stormy shore. What do you make of this depiction? Curator: Well, Gertrude, the patron saint of travelers, is often invoked against rats and mental illness. Note the ships, the crown at her feet, the rats near her. Consider the societal anxieties around travel, plague, and sanity in Callot's time. This is a deeply political image, cloaked in religious iconography. Editor: So, it's less about piety and more about these real-world fears? Curator: Precisely. And consider who had access to travel, power, and even mental healthcare. Whose anxieties are centered here? Editor: That reframes the whole image for me. It's not just a saint, it’s about social power. Curator: Exactly. Art so often reflects power.