De evangelist Johannes 1518

Lucas van Leyden etched this image of John the Evangelist, now at the Rijksmuseum, capturing the saint in a moment of profound contemplation. Above John, an eagle is perched, clutching a scroll, a symbol of divine inspiration and spiritual foresight. The eagle is associated with John because, like the eagle, John's Gospel soars to the heavens. It’s a motif echoing through centuries, seen in Roman imperial art as a symbol of power, then adopted by Christianity to denote spiritual authority and vision. The act of writing itself, so central here, has been passed down from antiquity. We find similar depictions in ancient Roman images of writers, where the subject holds a stylus to the tablet. Here, the motif is transformed; instead of secular knowledge, John is recording divine revelations. The thoughtful expression on John's face, rendered with meticulous detail, suggests the weight of this sacred task. It conveys the psychological intensity of grappling with divine knowledge. Thus, the eagle and the act of writing intertwine, demonstrating the continuous reinvention and adaptation of symbols across time, reflecting our enduring quest for meaning and connection to the divine.