Zacharias 1613

Cornelis Galle I created this engraving of Zacharias in the late 16th or early 17th century. The most striking aspect of this work is how Galle uses the linear quality of engraving to create form and texture. Notice how the lines vary in thickness and density to model Zacharias’s face and clothing. The lines create a sense of depth and volume, particularly in the folds of his head covering. The texture of the paper is also palpable, creating a tactile quality that contrasts with the ethereal nature of the subject matter. Zacharias emerges from the background with his gaze cast downwards, an intimate moment of reflection. The oval frame further isolates Zacharias, drawing our attention to the internal world suggested by his posture and expression. The inscription woven into the frame serves as a semiotic device, reinforcing the religious context. Galle’s Zacharias invites us to contemplate the relationship between the material and the spiritual, the visible and the invisible.