A hermit 16th century

This print, titled "A Hermit", was created by the artist known only as Monogrammist YHS, using chiaroscuro woodcut. The image depicts an elderly man, his back to us, kneeling, almost trapped, inside a dark cave. His arms are raised, perhaps in supplication. He is partially draped with fabric, yet his aged, muscular body is exposed. The artist's decision to depict the hermit from behind removes the possibility of immediate connection or recognition. This creates distance. The chiaroscuro technique, with its stark contrast between light and shadow, enhances the drama and the hermit’s emotional isolation. The figure is literally caught between worlds, between the darkness of the cave and the light that seems just out of reach. What does it mean to be caught in the chiaroscuro of life? Are we all, in some ways, hermits, grappling with our place in the world?