St Paul's from the West 1656

Wenceslaus Hollar created this print of St. Paul’s Cathedral, capturing its Western facade with meticulous detail. Above the image, an ornate cartouche declares the cathedral's name, while a heraldic crest featuring stags is prominently displayed, likely representing the patrons or figures associated with its construction. Consider the stag, a creature that has long held symbolic weight across cultures. In antiquity, it was sacred to Artemis, goddess of the hunt. In Christian art, the stag appears, drinking from the streams of Paradise, symbolizing the soul thirsting for God. And yet, we see its echo in the heraldic crests of noble families, a testament to power and lineage. This animal, imbued with layers of meaning, persists through time. The cathedral itself, with its soaring arches, evokes a sense of awe, a reminder of the enduring human quest for the divine. Like the stag, the cathedral stands as a testament to the power of symbols, forever evolving, forever echoing through the corridors of time.