Saint Bernard Vanquishing the Devil 1400 - 1500

Curator: Ah, yes, this print, titled "Saint Bernard Vanquishing the Devil". We believe it dates to sometime between 1400 and 1500, and it's likely of Northern European origin. Look closely – it’s a woodcut, perhaps with some engraving added, with later hand-coloring. Editor: It has a somewhat disturbing charm, doesn’t it? That devil is delightfully grotesque, even funny with those bug-eyes. Yet, the palette is soft, even kind of naive, despite the gruesome subject. It is a real dichotomy of image making for popular religious purposes! Curator: Indeed! Note the contrasting serenity of Saint Bernard, though. He barely seems to notice the Devil’s distress as he literally holds the fiend by a chain—the scene a study in opposites in form and the spiritual domain! And, the details around them give insight to life beyond this single interaction. Editor: Speaking of serenity, I find it striking how much emphasis has been put on line. It structures the space; in particular, how those linear draperies define Saint Bernard in a series of structural folds with a nod toward a stylized figuration. In comparison the devil appears almost like a frenzied collage or accumulation of detail within a crude overall outline. Curator: The very construction mirrors their realities! Look too at the hand from the clouds at the upper register of the picture plane! That presence elevates the image in many dimensions and speaks volumes of hope beyond. It’s a vivid narrative condensed into a single frame – a medieval meme, perhaps? Editor: It brings up ideas about form, too – the rigid composition with bold outline against the fluid nature of form that suggests internal turmoil – and these create tension as well. It is interesting too that Bernard's staff provides a central focus of organization along a vertical plane. Curator: True, and ultimately, what this artwork does is remind us that even in moments of conflict, grace and order are powerful allies and give pause. Editor: Agreed. There's something about the work’s overall symbolic structure and visual qualities, which make it an enduring piece—almost defiant in its humble approach.