Heilige Lucia 1581

Agostino Carracci created this print of Saint Lucia using engraving. The palm branch she holds symbolizes victory over evil, a common attribute for martyrs. More strikingly, she holds a chalice containing a pair of eyes; these refer directly to the story that Lucia’s eyes were gouged out as part of the torture inflicted on her for her Christian faith. Across time, we see eyes as symbols in ancient Egypt, representing protection and royal power in the form of the Eye of Horus. This motif then appears in early Christian art, not as literal eyes in a chalice, but as symbols of divine sight and omniscience. The recurrence of eyes speaks to a collective fascination with vision, knowledge, and sacrifice. Even today, this image carries profound psychological weight. It is a visual representation of intense suffering, rendered with a composure that resonates deeply, triggering both empathy and a sense of awe. This is a continuous, non-linear passage of symbols that resurface and evolve across history.