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Original fileVerschijning van de heilige Wigbertus voor de blinde Herluca
About This Work
A bishop-saint appears on a glowing cloud, gesturing toward a kneeling woman who looks up with an expression of awe. She holds an open book, suggesting a moment of prayer or study interrupted by this divine visitation within the arched interior of a stone chapel. The contrast between the radiant light surrounding the saint and the solid architecture emphasizes the intersection of the earthly and the divine.
Created by Aegidius Sadeler while serving as imperial engraver to Rudolf II, this work reflects the Prague court's fascination with the supernatural and the visionary. The accompanying poem explores the Neoplatonic paradox of 'spiritual sight,' where physical blindness (cæcutisset) serves as a catalyst for the restoration of the 'eyes of the mind' through divine love.
Inscriptions(Latin)
B. HERLVCA VIRGO. Dum certat cælum pro Virgine, certat et Orcus, Corporis hic, mentis prædicat illud opes. Mentem Herluca suam nunc huc, nunc diuidit illuc; Deteriora illi, mox meliora placent. Lumina cæcantur, dum voluit mente tenebras, Lumina redduntur, mens ubi numen amat. Wicterpus rexit dubiam, erexitq. cadentem: Ni cæcutisset, cæca futura fuit.
Translation
B. HERLUCA VIRGIN. While heaven strives for the Virgin, and Orcus also strives, This one proclaims the riches of the body, that one of the mind. Herluca divides her mind now here, now there; At first the worse things please her, soon the better ones. Her eyes are blinded while she desired darkness in her mind, Her eyes are restored when her mind loves the Divine. Wicterpus guided her when she was wavering, and raised her when she was falling: Had she not been blinded, she would have been blind forever.
Connected Texts
Aegidius Sadeler
Sadeler was the principal engraver at the court of Rudolf II, a major center for the intersection of art, magic, and natural philosophy.
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.