Heilige Alphegus van Canterbury als kluizenaar after 1598

This engraving of Saint Alphege of Canterbury as a hermit was created by Thomas de Leu between 1560 and 1620. Notice the high contrast, a stark opposition between light and dark. The foreground, dominated by Alphege’s illuminated figure and rustic hut, sharply contrasts with the chaotic background, where a group of figures seems to enact a violent scene under a starlit sky. De Leu uses the formal qualities of light to draw attention to the spiritual narrative. Alphege is depicted holding a lantern which casts light, both literally and metaphorically, on his contemplative existence as a hermit. His posture and the objects he holds—a rosary and a book—signal devotion and learning. The artist employs a semiotic system of signs: the halo, the book, and the rosary, all encode Alphege's holiness. The wild movements of the background figures are designed to test the faith of a holy man. De Leu's work is a careful orchestration of visual signs designed to invite you to contemplate the challenges of religious devotion and the power of quiet contemplation.