H. Anatolia 1565 - 1630

Antonio Tempesta etched "H. Anatolia" around 1600, a modest print brimming with potent iconography. Anatolia, the saint, is led away by a figure wielding a rod, yet she turns, hand raised in defiance. Consider this raised hand, a gesture that echoes through centuries—from ancient Roman orators to Renaissance depictions of biblical scenes. It is a symbol of resistance, of truth standing against force. The rod, a phallic symbol, suggests male dominance and aggression. This visual tension speaks to our collective psyche, where power struggles and assertions of will play out. The symbol of the rod, a simple tool, extends to the scepter of kings, the staff of religious leaders, or the wand of a magician. It is a symbol that embodies authority, a recurring motif in the theater of human existence. Its continuous reinvention and adaptation attests to its enduring relevance, a testament to our shared cultural vocabulary, echoing through time and reshaping itself within new narratives.