Bezoek van H. Antonius aan H. Paulus de Kluizenaar 1845

This is Johannes de Mare's depiction of the meeting between Saint Anthony and Saint Paul the Hermit. Note the lions, symbols of strength and royalty, here subdued, almost mournful. The lion motif echoes through history, from the guardian figures of ancient Mesopotamia to the heraldic emblems of European nobility. In Christian iconography, the lion is often associated with Saint Mark, but here, their presence is more complex. They have dug the grave for the saint in the desert. Consider how the image of the lion has been passed down and transformed through generations, its symbolic power evolving with each retelling. Perhaps the artist draws on a collective memory, tapping into our shared unconscious understanding of the lion as a symbol of power, here humbled by the saint's virtue. The presence of these majestic beasts evokes a profound emotional response, a visceral understanding of mortality. Such cyclical recurrences reveal how symbols resurface, adapt, and acquire new layers of meaning across time.