Visioen van Augustinus van Hippo 1665 - 1698

This is Johann Jakob von Sandrart’s engraving, "Vision of Augustine of Hippo." Here, Augustine encounters a child attempting to empty the ocean into a small shell, a visual metaphor for the futility of understanding the infinite. The child’s gesture, pointing upwards, directs our gaze to the Holy Trinity, a symbol of divine mystery. This motif, the child as a messenger of profound truth, echoes across centuries. We see it again and again in various forms, from Renaissance cherubs bearing divine tidings to ancient depictions of Cupid. It is a potent symbol, tapping into our subconscious understanding of innocence and wisdom intertwined. The image subtly explores the interplay between human intellect and divine knowledge, a visual echo of Augustine’s own struggles with faith and reason. It speaks to our endless quest for understanding, a quest that perhaps, like the child’s task, is beautifully, impossibly endless.