Visioen van de maagd Maria en de Heilige Hyacinthus van Polen 1595 - 1600

Editor: Here we have a print entitled "Vision of the Virgin Mary and Saint Hyacinth of Poland," made around 1595-1600 by Johann Sadeler I. It's a striking image, this rather tiny engraving. The figures feel suspended, ethereal even, amidst the bold, stark lines. How do you read this piece? Curator: Oh, I love the term 'ethereal' here, it perfectly captures that dreamlike state, that blurry border between reality and… somewhere else. You know, looking at the ascending figures rising on clouds, and a praying Saint, all rendered in this exquisitely detailed line work, I see a window into the spiritual fervor of the Northern Renaissance. There's almost a theatricality in the composition, a staging of divine intervention. What catches your eye most about the figures? Editor: Well, I'm struck by the praying figure on the left, perhaps the Saint? The intensity of her gaze is palpable. Though everything is still, her posture feels so active and yearning. Curator: Yes! That kneeling figure, absorbed in devotion, represents that yearning, the very human desire to connect with the divine. But observe also how the scene's divine subjects aren't uniformly lit – Mary literally shines brighter than Saint Hyacinth on the right! And notice the expressions on the Virgin Mary and Hyacinth… what feelings are present within them? Editor: You're right, they look solemn, or even melancholy… like the gravity of transcendence is taking hold. I hadn't quite noticed before. It gives the image such a somber, heavy air… yet I also sense hope, or maybe a cautious anticipation for the world that waits beyond? Curator: Exactly. You've articulated a nuanced push and pull. This simple devotional engraving captures so well how a single sacred vision contains both human apprehension and the divine sublime. Editor: I love how this piece, in its minute scale, packs such a grand emotional and theological punch. Curator: And to think this glimpse into the beyond hangs right here in the Rijksmuseum… art continues to whisper its secrets!