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Original fileB. Erminoldvs abbas
About This Work
A radiant, haloed figure of Abbot Erminold emerges from a church doorway, gesturing to repel a group of armed soldiers and a drummer. In the foreground, a soldier with a large halberd stands with his back to the viewer, while other clerical figures observe the confrontation from the middle ground. The scene emphasizes the triumph of spiritual authority over military force through high-contrast engraving.
This work was created for the 'Bavaria Sancta' (1615), a major hagiographic project by Jesuit scholar Matthäus Rader designed to provide a spiritual history of Bavaria during the Counter-Reformation. As a court artist to Rudolf II in Prague, Aegidius Sadeler brought the sophisticated Mannerist style of the imperial court to these religious subjects, bridging the gap between political power and ecclesiastical tradition.
Inscriptions(Latin)
B. ERMINOLDVS ABBAS. Ambrosium credas hunc, fasces atq[ue] secures A sacris ausum pellere liminibus. Quale fuit Patri circum præcordia robur, Cui furor imperij nil nisi risus erat? Qui non ferratas acies, non mille phalangas Extimuit, magno tutus ubiq[ue] Deo. Nullos formidat bene mens sibi conscia reges; Sæpe tremenda Duci trita lacerna fuit.
Translation
B. ERMINOLDUS ABBAS. You might believe this man to be Ambrose, daring to drive the fasces and axes from the sacred thresholds. What strength of heart was in that Father, to whom the fury of empire was nothing but a jest? He who did not fear armored battle-lines, nor a thousand phalanxes, secure everywhere through the great God. A mind conscious of its own virtue fears no kings; often the worn cloak was more formidable than a Leader.
Connected Texts
Matthäus Rader
Rader was the Jesuit historian who authored 'Bavaria Sancta', the text for which this engraving served as an illustration.
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Provenance & Source
Object
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
paper
width 156 mm x height 220 mm
religious
Linked Data
AI AI-cataloged fields generated by gemini-3-flash-preview on April 2, 2026. Getty identifiers are AI-inferred and may require verification.